Complex personal relationships and the hate that sometimes hides behind anonymity on social media are the central focus of 'A la cara', the new feature film by Alicante native and Goya winner, Javier Marco. The film will compete for the Golden Tesela at the Alicante International Film Festival and was presented today with its director and lead actress, Sonia Almarcha.

The film, which can be seen this Thursday, May 28th, at Kinépolis cinemas, stars Manolo Solo, Sonia Almarcha, Roberto Álamo, and Daniel Pérez Prada. The screenplay is by Belén Sánchez-Arévalo and production is by Pecado Films, LaCima Producciones, Langosta Films, Biograf Capital AIE. The cinematography is by Anna Franquesa-Solano (AEC) and the music by Margaret Hermant.

'A la cara' tells the story of Pedro, who, upon opening his door to a potential flatmate, is surprised to find Lina, a famous television presenter. She is not interested in the room; she only wants Pedro to publicly state the hateful message he wrote to her on social media. What begins as a violent confrontation transforms into a strange cohabitation, where both become uncomfortable mirrors of each other.

Director Javier Marco explained the film's origin: “It all stems from a 2019 short film where I wanted to talk about hate on social media. After making the short, we realized the plot lent itself to making a feature film and delving deeper into the characters, and from that, this film was born, which will premiere tomorrow, May 29th, in cinemas nationwide.” The film's team researched various profiles and behaviors related to online hate to construct the characters for the feature.

Sonia Almarcha spoke about her character, who gradually confronts herself throughout the film. The actress commented on the central theme of 'A la cara', stating that online hate is a growing issue “and should not be tolerated under the guise of freedom of expression; an opinion ceases to be such when it is disrespectful, and we must be very careful.”

Javier Marco invited viewers to watch the film and reflect. “Cinema is entertainment, but it also invites you to reflect and reconsider your life. We want this film to make the viewer uncomfortable without being manipulative, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences related to this theme,” the director concluded.