IFFR Preview: Romería

As a preview for the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), we will present a special pre-premiere of Romería, the new film by Golden Bear winner Carla Simón ('Alcarràs') this January. This IFFR Preview Tour is a perfect way to get into the mood for all the wonderful things the IFFR, which takes place from January 29th to February 8th, 2026, has to offer. 

Marina lost her parents to addiction and illness at a young age. When the aspiring filmmaker goes in search of her roots in the northwestern coastal region of Spain during the summer, she finds herself in a web of conflicting memories and heartbreaking discoveries. The award-winning Spanish filmmaker Carla Simón based this melancholic, sun-drenched portrait on her own experiences. Does a shared bloodline automatically make you family?

With Romería ('pilgrimage'), Carla Simón shares an intimate piece of autobiographical fiction that shows that we can never fully know our parents. Both Llúcia Garcia and the stunning Galician coast play a magnificent starring role in this film, which illustrates that filmmaking – and storytelling in general – is an immersive way to process an elusive past.