One of the most anticipated films at this year’s SXSW is certainly the feature film by Liliana Torres. After Family Tour (2013) and What Went Wrong (2021), where she reflected on themes of family and relationships, in 2024, the Barcelona director competes in the main showcase of the Austin festival with the third and final chapter of her trilogy.
While the first two – autobiographical – were considered a sort of film installations due to their hybrid forms that involved the use of non-professional actors, with her latest work – which is presented in the Narrative Feature Competition – Torres ventures into the realm of open fiction. She sometimes maintains her experimental style, which here intertwines directly with the narrative, creating a dialogue between form and content as certain moments in the film align directly with the activities of its main character.
Lola is in fact a visual artist who uses collage techniques to post-modernly reconstruct the female body. In a manner reminiscent of the experimental Italian documentarian Alina Marazzi (We Want Roses Too, 2007), the direction itself intervenes in the protagonist’s dreams, immersed in a constantly evolving landscape, piecing together elements much like a collage. In the land of her subconscious, Lola’s body is also uncovered and reimagined when she discovers she is pregnant, mirroring her approach to Diana, the goddess of the hunt, in her works. The visual work, titled Todo el organismo formado y funcionando (meaning “the whole fully formed and functioning body”), explores the idea of a fully formed and functioning female body that can choose to break free from gender stereotypes, particularly regarding motherhood, which Torres reminds us is a choice.
At the dawn of her forties, Lola opts not to embrace it, as she firmly believes it is not her path, and the film follows the three days leading up to the abortion and what the clinic gives to the woman in order for her to think the option through.
The director does not take sides or speak of the moral superiority of one choice over the other but rather observes with equal tenderness both the protagonist who chooses to abort and her best friend, who desperately desires a child that does not come. Both women act on their bodies with freedom, one through a medical procedure and the other through hormonal treatments, experiencing their differing desires in a similarly sore and intense manner.
Mamifera is a film that does not wallow in self-pity, sugarcoat the truth, or beat around the bush, but instead tells the story with sincerity and courage.
It delves into the intimate moments of a couple fractured by the anguish of an unshared decision that nonetheless shares the resulting pain, which is equally strong for both of them and is portrayed boldly and delicately, without voyeurism.
The film unfolds like an investigation over those three days as Lola delves into the concept of her and other women’s primal instincts and wider social dynamics to understand the biological and patriarchal remnants within the concept of motherhood at all costs.
Mamifera is not just a film about abortion and the emotional complexities of such a decision, but more so, a film about femininity, which does not always necessitate motherhood to feel complete. For some women it does, for others, it doesn’t.
An interesting aspect of this work is its inclusion of the male perspective, often overlooked for fear of diluting feminism by simply acknowledging its existence. It is a film where all the characters are human and relatable. There are no true antagonists, not even Lola’s partner, who shows closeness and support despite their separation.
While the ending may be bitter, the film manages to be reassuring, as it does not judge but shows, does not analyze but presents, and does not criticize but empathize. It showcases the strength of a supportive community and the importance of mutual acceptance.
Above all, it does not provide answers. Like the statue of Diana, the woman’s body transcends its supposed nature as a mammal and life-bearer to embrace various roles, whether choosing to be a mother or not, with both decisions aligning harmoniously with her biology.
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