Film: ‘Chinas’ GIFIC International Film Festival – 7 May

The film series connecting culture and equality

The Guadix in Equality program has been bringing cinematic proposals to our city for several months that go far beyond entertainment. Each film is an invitation to think, feel, and discuss the realities that surround us: gender violence, family diversity, identity, women’s rights, migration, and so many other topics that deserve a place in collective debate.

This cycle is made possible thanks to the joint effort of the Guadix Municipal Women’s Information Center and the collaboration of the Granada Provincial Council, the Regional Government of Andalusia through the Andalusian Women’s Institute, and the GIFIC International Film Festival. A collective project that demonstrates month after month that culture is one of the most powerful tools for transforming our society.

Screenings take place at the Teatro Mira de Amescua, one of Guadix’s most emblematic venues, always with free admission. Because access to culture should not depend on what is in our pockets, but on the desire to learn, to be moved, and to grow together as a community.

This month, the chosen film is Chinas. And we have many reasons to believe you will love it.

Chinas: The Story of Lucía and Xiang

Chinas tells the crossing of two destinies that, at first glance, could not be more different. On one side is Lucía, a Spanish teenager who was adopted from China as a baby. Raised in a Spanish family with all the local cultural references, Lucía carries a question she doesn’t always know how to phrase: who am I really? Am I Spanish? Am I Chinese? Both? Neither?

On the other side is Xiang, a young Chinese woman who migrates to Spain seeking a better future. Her path is not easy: the language, the customs, the loneliness of arriving in a place where everything is foreign. And yet, in that foreignness, there is also a quiet strength and an impressive determination.

When their paths cross, neither will ever be the same. Because sometimes the people who shake us from within do not arrive with a warning. They arrive and, suddenly, force us to look at ourselves in a mirror we had never found before.

Chinas is not a film of easy answers. It doesn’t pretend to solve the questions it raises, because those questions—about identity, belonging, family, origin—do not have simple answers. What it does is treat them with an honesty and delicacy rarely found in mainstream cinema. And that, precisely, is what makes it so special.

The result is an intimate tale, sometimes painful, sometimes luminous, always true. A film that speaks of the universal through the particular, reminding us that the most important questions in life are also the hardest to answer.

Arantxa Echevarría: An essential voice in Spanish cinema

Arantxa Echevarría is undoubtedly one of the most important and bravest directors in contemporary Spanish cinema. She made her feature film debut in 2018 with Carmen & Lola, a film that shook the industry and cultural debate by narrating a love story between two young Romani women. The film won the Critics’ Award at the Cannes Film Festival in the Critics’ Week section and was nominated for the Goya for Best New Director, consolidating Echevarría as a top-tier creator.

What defines Echevarría as a filmmaker is not just her technical talent, but her gaze. A gaze that always seeks out the people conventional cinema ignores: women, migrants, marginalized communities—stories that exist on the fringes but deserve to be at the center. With Chinas, she again demonstrates that ethical and aesthetic commitment that sets her apart.

The director worked on this film for years, with deep research into the reality of Chinese girls adopted in Spain and Chinese women who emigrated to our country. That background work is evident in every shot, every conversation, and the authenticity with which her characters speak and move through the world.

Three reasons not to miss Chinas

A top-tier ensemble

One of the great strengths of Chinas is its cast, a combination of actresses and actors who bring authenticity, nuance, and emotion to every scene. The film brings together Chinese and Spanish performers in an exercise of cultural dialogue that is evident both on screen and behind the scenes.

Daniela Shiman Yang and Xinyi Ye lead the cast alongside Ella Qiu, three actresses who bring a truth to their characters that can only come from someone who knows the experience of living between two cultures from the inside. Alongside them, Pablo Molinero, Leonor Watling, and Carolina Yuste complete a cast that guarantees an interpretation as rich and complex as the story itself.

Leonor Watling and Carolina Yuste are two of the most recognized and versatile actresses in Spanish cinema today, and their presence in the film is an additional guarantee that we are looking at a high-level production. But beyond the famous names, what surprises most about Chinas is the naturalness and depth of all the performances, even from the lesser-known actresses, proving that Echevarría knows how to bring out the best in everyone she works with.

Teatro Mira de Amescua: The best setting for cinema

The Teatro Mira de Amescua is one of the most beloved and recognizable cultural spaces in Guadix. With its history and architecture, the theater lends every event it hosts a special atmosphere—that intangible something that makes the experience of watching a movie or attending a show different when you do it in a space with soul.

Watching Chinas at the Mira de Amescua isn’t just about seeing a movie. It’s about sharing a space with neighbors from Guadix, sitting in the same room and being moved together, walking out to the street afterward with something to talk about. Cinema in a theater has a magic that home screens cannot replicate, and that magic is enhanced when the space has the personality and character of the Mira de Amescua.

We recommend arriving a few minutes early to ensure a good seat. Capacity is limited and entry is free, so the theater may fill up quickly. Don’t be late and miss the chance to enjoy this very special plan.

Everything you need to know to attend

The screening of Chinas will take place next Thursday, May 7th, 2025 at 7:30 PM at the Teatro Mira de Amescua in Guadix. The film’s duration is 113 minutes, so the end is scheduled for approximately 9:30 PM.

Entry is completely free, with no prior reservation required. However, access will be restricted once the theater capacity is reached, so we strongly recommend arriving at least ten or fifteen minutes early to secure your spot.

The film is especially recommended for families with adopted children, social workers, educators, and anyone interested in themes of international adoption, migration, cultural identity, and feminism. It is suitable for adult and adolescent audiences.

Have questions? You can contact the Guadix Municipal Women’s Information Center for any inquiries about the event or the cycle in general. And if you liked this proposal, share it with whoever you think might be interested: the more people who come, the bigger and better the shared experience will be.