Carla Simón’s *Romería* Premieres at Cannes: Exploring Identity, AIDS Stigma, and Digital Storytelling in Galicia

Romería at Cannes: Cinema, Secrets, and the Digital Reckoning with Legacy

Carla Simón’s Romería arrives on the European cinema stage not simply as a film, but as a meticulously layered discourse on identity, family, and the evolving interplay between technology and truth. Its Cannes premiere signals more than just critical acclaim—it marks a moment of reflection for industries and societies negotiating the aftershocks of public health crises, digital transformation, and the ethics of storytelling.

Family Secrets and the Architecture of Exclusion

At the heart of Romería is Marina, an 18-year-old navigating the labyrinthine streets of Vigo, Galicia, in search of her biological father’s legacy. Her story is not just personal; it is emblematic of the contemporary struggle to reconcile inherited histories with the demands of a transparent, digital era. The film’s narrative tension is expertly built around the erasure of Marina’s existence from official records after her father Fon’s death from AIDS—a bureaucratic slight that echoes the institutional failures of the late 20th-century AIDS crisis.

This act of erasure is not merely administrative, but existential. Marina’s inability to secure documentation for her cinema studies is a haunting reminder of how stigma and secrecy can calcify into systemic barriers, impeding not only personal growth but also the broader project of social inclusion. The film’s depiction of family members—her grandfather’s manipulative financial offer and her grandmother’s cold dismissal—captures the spectrum of responses to shame and legacy in a rapidly changing world. Here, Simón deftly exposes the ethical dilemmas at the heart of familial and societal structures: when does silence protect, and when does it perpetuate harm?

Digital Storytelling and the Power Shift in Narrative Control

Simón’s decision to arm Marina with a digital video camera is more than a stylistic choice. It is a pointed commentary on the democratization of storytelling in the age of ubiquitous technology. As Marina documents her journey, the camera becomes a tool of agency, challenging traditional power structures that once dictated which stories were told and which were buried. In an era where social media and digital archives increasingly shape public memory, Romería interrogates the responsibilities and risks that come with this new narrative power.

The film’s visual language—oscillating between raw realism and stylized artifice—mirrors the contemporary tension between authenticity and performance. Today’s audiences, attuned to the blurred boundaries of truth in digital spaces, find themselves reflected in Marina’s struggle to reconcile her lived experience with the often performative nature of public storytelling. This duality speaks directly to business and technology leaders grappling with the ethical implications of personal data, digital histories, and the commodification of identity.

Inclusion, Accountability, and the New Ethics of Legacy

Romería arrives at a time when global markets and cultural institutions are increasingly attuned to the imperatives of inclusion and historical accountability. The film’s exploration of how personal tragedy intersects with systemic exclusion raises urgent questions for stakeholders across industries: How do we ensure that marginalized narratives are not only heard but also validated? What ethical frameworks are needed to address the lingering effects of institutional neglect?

Simón’s nuanced portrayal of familial negotiation—where economic incentives and emotional distancing coexist—serves as a microcosm for broader societal debates about reparations, recognition, and the ethical stewardship of legacy. For business and technology audiences, the film is a call to examine how corporate and institutional practices either perpetuate or dismantle cycles of exclusion.

The Resonance of Unspoken Truths in a Connected Age

Romería is more than a film; it is an invitation to confront the complexities of identity, memory, and the ethics of storytelling in a digital world. As technology continues to reshape how we record, remember, and reckon with the past, Simón’s work stands as both a cautionary tale and a beacon of possibility. The film’s emotional depth and intellectual rigor challenge viewers—and, by extension, decision-makers in business and technology—to reflect on the legacies they inherit and the stories they choose to elevate.

In the end, Romería is a testament to the enduring power of cinema to not only illuminate hidden histories but also to provoke the necessary discomfort that precedes meaningful change. As the boundaries between personal narrative and public discourse continue to blur, the film’s themes reverberate far beyond the screen, urging us all to consider the stories we tell—and those we leave untold.