WomanInFan Residency - Marina Badía

Marina Badía, a filmmaker from Zaragoza, stands out as a director and screenwriter with an intimate and personal approach to her projects. She trained at the Complutense University of Madrid and New York University, where she specialized in film directing. Marina has explored complex themes such as loneliness and isolation in her works. Inspired by the "Weird Greek Wave", her vision blends elements of psychological cinema with deeply human stories and visually emotional narratives. This year, she was recognized for her talent at the 2024 Sitges Festival, where she achieved a double selection: she was chosen to participate in the Residencia Fantàstica WomanInFan and won the Corto-Teaser competition, an unprecedented achievement in the festival. These opportunities will allow her to develop her first feature film, Cordero de mí, a movie that combines elements of psychological thriller and fantasy.

Marina, when researching about you, two key facts always come up: you’re from Zaragoza and a big fan of Twin Peaks. How much of that is reflected in your work?

I grew up in a small village in Zaragoza, spending summers watching movies with a friend. I remember when I discovered David Lynch’s cinema, I couldn’t stop rewatching everything he had directed. That’s where Twin Peaks comes in, a series that left a strong impression on me and somehow has become an almost unconscious influence in everything I do.

You’ve mentioned that moving to the U.S. gave you an emotional connection to American society, which directly impacted your work. Can you tell us more about that? What do you think are the biggest differences between Spanish and American societies? Why did you choose the U.S.?

I moved to the U.S. right after graduating because I felt the need to leave, to seek discomfort and live far from the familiar. I wanted a cultural shock, and I found it. I only lived there for two years, and I didn’t look for broad conclusions. However, in my experience, what struck me most was the apparent ease with which conflicts are avoided and the rare displays of vulnerability I perceived. It often felt like many of the situations I witnessed were more cinematic than real.

When discussing those experiences, you explore human relationships and family bonds in your short films, spanning from comedy to psychological thrillers. How did you transition to a more fantastical theme with Cordero de mí?

The fantasy genre is very broad and allows me to tell layered stories, which are the kind of narratives that personally interest me. The resources of fantasy help me introduce different threads that strengthen and amplify my vision of the thriller.

This project will also be your first feature film in a career marked by shorts and commercial work, such as advertising campaigns for Mango or Paco Rabanne. How do you feel? What do you think you’ll gain from this experience that you haven’t encountered before?

Although as a director and editor I’ve worked professionally creating content for brands or agencies, cinema has always been the place where I’ve felt at home. I’ve directed several short films, but the challenge of making my first feature film is turning out to be very different from anything I’ve done before, even in these early stages of development. I’m thoroughly enjoying the process.

For the first time in this edition, you’ve achieved a double selection at the Sitges Festival, winning both the short film competition and the fantasy residency. You’re a pioneer in a field where being a woman often means being a minority. How are you facing such a new situation? What projects await you after the festival?

The double selection at the Sitges Festival still feels like a dream. I’ve taken these recognitions as a confidence boost and a push to keep developing my first feature film. Thanks to the selection of the short teaser WomanInFan, I’ll be able to shape the script for the film, and right now, I’m working on developing a new version of the script to define and build what this teaser will become. It’s a very exciting process, and I’m enjoying it immensely.