Nevenka Fernández was 23 years old when she started working at the City Council of Ponferrada, a small city in the north of Spain. She was young, beautiful and susceptible to the flattery of the town’s mayor, who positioned himself as a mentor — and then endeavoured to take advantage of her.
Nevenka wasn’t going to put up with it and despite the cautions that came her way, she went public with the abuse.
Iciar Bollain’s film is based on a true story and it’s an all too common one, no matter which part of the world we’re talking about. As Bollain makes clear, misogyny isn’t centered in individual infractions, it’s embedded throughout society and baked into our psyche. But a woman of courage and conviction like Nevenka — superbly played by Mireia Oriol — can still affect change.
Soy Nevenka is important and necessary, but movies cannot be built from the label of “a necessary film.” Luckily, the film overcomes this hurdle and takes flight towards the end.
Gregorio Belinchon, El Pais
Icíar Bollaín
Mireia Oriol, Urko Olazabal, Ricardo Gómez, Carlos Serrano, Lucía Veiga, Luis Moreno
Spain
2024
In Spanish with English subtitles
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits
Screenwriter
Icíar Bollaín, Isa Campo
Cinematography
Gris Jordana
Editor
Nacho Ruiz Capillas
Original Music
Xavier Font
Art Director
Mikel Serrano
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The Teacher Who Promised the Sea
Based on a true story, Patricia Font’s drama excavates a dark period in Spanish history. Antoni Benaiges takes up a village teaching position in 1935. But his new-fangled ideas about learning outrage the local priest.