The most cinephilic corners of the press are buzzing about José Luis Guerín’s new feature, Good Valley Stories [+leggi anche:
intervista: José Luis Guerín
scheda film]. Many were calling for it to win the Golden Shell at the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival, where in the end it had to make do with the Special Jury Prize, 24 years after the director received the same trophy (as well as the FIPRESCI Prize) for En construcción, a documentary shot on the streets of his native Barcelona.

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This new non-fiction work is also set in Barcelona, in the outlying district of Vallbona. It is an island-like place, bordered by a river, railway lines and motorways. A microcosm marking the transition from rural to urban life, it preserves ways of life that have been erased from the city centre and which are possible only in this hybrid, semi-wild space.

With barely even a script to speak of, the feature reveals its inner workings, showing how it is made as it goes along. It begins with observational, black-and-white Super 8 images that introduce the setting, then follows this with interviews conducted by Guerín to select the cast. It grows to incorporate neighbourhood gatherings and those between friends, as well as family parties, songs, walks, conversations, farm work, picnics and dances.

The filmmaker’s presence is felt, too – his voice at times in dialogue with the non-professional actors. He becomes part of the creative process without any manipulation, laying it bare before the viewer. Shot over the course of three years, the film shows the true, deep emotional bond formed during its long gestation period between the director-editor and the many people on screen, capturing their wishes, longings and everyday troubles.

Starting from this profoundly humanist gaze, the movie, over its two-hour running time, introduces us to an elderly man who embodies the neighbourhood’s memory – he knows the ruins that dot it. Another figure reflects the loss of memory, linked to the new blocks of flats now springing up in the commuter town. Others represent the farming families who arrived decades ago from all across Spain, while still others mirror today’s global migration. The result is a kaleidoscope that – with striking simplicity – lays out many of the issues that concern us right now, from environmentalism to school bullying, all conveyed through the unmasked truth of ordinary people. It offers a cinematic portrait of a very authentic place – one that will likely thrill festival audiences more than other viewers.

Good Valley Stories is a Spanish-French co-production by Los Ilusos Films (Jonás Trueba’s company), Perspective Films and Orfeo Iluso AIE. Its international sales are handled by French sales agent Shellac. Spanish distribution is by Wanda Visión, with a theatrical release set for 6 February 2026.