DEATH IN TORREVIEJA

Feature Film | 90 minutes | Adriana Arratia

PARTNERS

• Financing : Institut Valencià de Cultura, Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), Film Fund Luxembourg
• Producers : Araceli Isaac Delso (Maqueta Film), Jordi Llorca Llinares (Nakamura Films)
• Distribution : Adso Films, Luxbox

Death in Torrevieja tells the story of Chetia, a woman for whom motherhood is nothing more than a daily reminder of her shattered dreams—a burden in a life marked by frustration.

The film is set in Torrevieja, Spain: land of NEETs, petty hustles, cheap tourism, “balconing” and trash TV. Trapped in an unwanted motherhood—abortion is still taboo in her town—Chetia has been scraping by since Yeray was born, selling hash and calling in every favor she can. Yeray bounces between his father Pipo’s bar and his mother’s arms.

Chetia refuses to cater to tourists during the summer or do nails like her best friend Yisela. Instead, she makes a living running illegal balconing bets. Her biggest dream is to get into Gran Verano, the Spanish reality show—she wants the whole country to know her name. Summer is her time to shine: she’s the queen of Torrevieja. But one day, a reckless tourist crashes into the edge of the pool. Chetia’s world collapses.

Losing her main source of income, stuck in a suffocating life with a child she never wanted, and unable to escape to Madrid, Chetia begins a downward spiral. With no money and haunted by the tourist’s death, she makes choices she’ll regret—putting her son’s life in danger.

Yisela takes Chetia to the mall for the Gran Verano casting. After several days without work or income, and with the landlord demanding rent, Chetia grows desperate. She turns to her cousin for cocaine on credit, cuts it with creatine, and tries to sell it through a gay dating app. But the users reject her—only men are accepted. So she ropes in Javi, Yisela’s underage son, using him as a mule. The plan works. The money starts to flow.

Her dreams of fame crumbles when, in front of everyone at the local bar, the new cast of Gran Veranois announced—and her name isn’t on the list. Trying to cheer her up, Yisela invites her to the water park with the whole family. Chetia uses the day to keep dealing through Javi. At one point, she and Lorena sneak away and, after a revealing conversation, carry out Lorena’s abortion—an act that, for Chetia, symbolizes righting the wrongs of her own youth.

When they return to the group, Yisela is panicked—she can’t find Javi. Then comes the call from the police: Javi’s been arrested. They rush to the station and learn just how serious the situation is. Devastated, Yisela blames Chetia and ends their friendship.

Alone and fed up, Chetia makes a radical decision: she leaves Yeray at the bar with his father and gets on a bus, determined to escape the town that’s been choking her. She’s ready to break free and start over.