Locarno 2024: Salve Maria (by Mar Coll) | Review
Motherhood is hell in Mar Coll’s latest film Salve Maria, making its debut at the 77th edition of Locarno Film Festival as part of the prestigious Concorso Internazionale.
The main international competition of the 2024 Locarno Film Festival, celebrated for its diverse mix of established auteurs and emerging talents, is kicking off with Catalan filmmaker Mar Coll’s new work, Salve Maria. This is her first-ever entry at Locarno, focusing on a promising young writer and new mother who becomes obsessed with the disturbing case of a French woman who drowned her 10-month-old twins in the bathtub. The film, Mar Coll’s first feature since 2013, is based on the novel Amek ez dute by Katixa Agirre.
Maria is portrayed by Laura Weissmahr, known for her roles in various TV series and short films, but perhaps most notably for starring in Julia Is by Elena Martin (Creatura). Salve Maria marks her first major work following that film.
The birth of a first child typically brings happiness, but for Maria, it becomes a catastrophe. She lives with her busy husband (Oriol Pla) in a cramped apartment with overflowing bookshelves that make the small space feel even tighter, and a broken window that adds to the couple’s daily irritations. The arrival of their baby exacerbates Maria’s fragile psychological state. During her maternity leave, Maria tries to bond with her baby, but her efforts fall short. Her baby frequently vomits after nursing, which raises concerns about the infant’s health, and the incessant crying further destabilizes Maria’s state of mind. Amidst this stress, she becomes haunted by the case of the French woman who killed her twins—an obsession that fuels the plot of her next novel.
Mar Coll’s third film is a character study of a mother grappling with the fear that she may not be ready for motherhood. Maria is brilliantly portrayed by Weissmahr, who captures her character’s fragility, vulnerability, and desperation. Her vacant gaze hints at a troubled mind, conveying suppressed emotions of anguish and depression. The film’s strength lies in its exploration of fragile motherhood, juxtaposed with elements of mystery and psychological drama. This creates a compellingly eerie and unusual atmosphere, further intensified by the presence of supporting actress Giannina Fruttero, whose performance has an impact as significant as the main protagonist’s.
When it comes to creating an unsettling atmosphere, credit is due to Goya Award-winning composer Zeltia Montes (The Good Boss), whose score immerses the audience in the complex emotions that Maria is grappling with. While Salve Maria may feel overly long as it reaches its climax, Laura Weissmahr’s sharp and enthralling performance makes it a film worth noting.
Salve Maria is produced by Escándalo Films, the company behind Mar Coll’s previous films, along with Elastica Films, which produced the Golden Bear-winning Alcarràs and Golden Shell winner The Rye Horn. The film’s sales are being handled by Be For Films, with distribution in Spain managed by the latter production house.
The 77th Locarno Film Festival is running on August 7-17, 2024 in Switzerland.
