El agua

El Agua (Switzerland/Spain, Elena Lopez Riera, 2022, 4 and a half stars, North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival)

Women disappear, according to local legend, when they defy the power of water and love. Yet how this happens exactly, no one can say.

Three generations of independent women including Ana, her mother, and grandmother, attempt to weather approaching storms within themselves as well as outside. When Ana falls in love she revels in the pleasure of the affair but also tries to stay afloat as waves crash against her. Ana's boyfriend is irritated at little things and doesn't seem to want the real Ana, rather he wants her to be what he needs. Ana needs help from other women to write the story of her own life.

El Agua is deep and meditative. It mixes reality and fantasy with tranquil scenes of women cutting lemons, flying doves, teenagers enjoying a swimming hole, trucks traversing the small town at night, and an outside dance party. It delves into themes of gender, power in the solidarity of women, ancestral fears, inner unrest, and love. El Agua first appeared at Cannes and utilizes non-professional actors. Director Elena Lopez Riera was at this North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. She believes that there is little or no difference between reality and fantasy, and wants people to question fears handed down to them from the past. I really enjoyed this story of a young woman keeping her head above water and gaining confidence in herself.