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Spanish 'Quinqui' Cinema Gets Fresh Female Take
10 Mar
Summary
- New film 'Death in Torrevieja' adapts a gritty Spanish genre with a female perspective.
- Luxembourg's Deal Productions joins as an international co-production partner.
- The movie explores a marginalized woman's fight for survival in a tourist town.
Adriana Arratia's debut feature film, "Death in Torrevieja," is set to bring a new female perspective to the 'quinqui' cinema genre. Luxembourg's Deal Productions has officially joined the project as an international co-production partner. This development is a positive sign for the film, which was a title at the 2025 Berlinale Talent Project Market.
"Death in Torrevieja" expands on Arratia's critically acclaimed 2023 short film of the same name. The story centers on Chetia, a young woman living in Torrevieja, a budget tourist destination. She is a "nini"—neither studying nor employed—who organizes illegal betting for tourists.
Inspired by the raw realism of 1980s Spanish 'quinqui' films, Arratia reinterprets the genre through a contemporary, female lens. The film delves into the life of a marginalized mother who feels detached from her child and struggles for survival in a town marked by precariousness and phenomena like balconing. The narrative is driven by the death of a tourist, forcing Chetia into desperate, unlawful decisions.
The film is produced by Spain's Nakamura Films and Maqueta Films. Free-to-air TV rights have been pre-bought by Valencia-based pubcaster À Punt, and ADSO is set to distribute it in Spain. Caterina Hurtado, who starred in the short, reprises her role, alongside Ana Maria Jimenez.
