DROWNING LETTERS
81 minutes, 2020
Director : Paula PALACIOS (Spain)
Production : Morada Films (Spain)
In recent years thousands of people have risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean in an attempt to reach the shores of Europe. Using a mysterious voice coming from the depths of the sea, “Drowning Letters” tells one of the most tragic chapters in contemporary history. The voice-over reads letters written by mothers to their children as we follow a rescue ship of the Spanish NGO Open Arms in a dramatic mission to save the lives of 550 people in international waters. The film also takes us aboard a Libyan Coast Guard military ship and shows us the most dangerous place in the world, Libya, where human beings are abused and enslaved.
Born in 1983 in Madrid, Paula PALACIOS is a documentary film-maker who works between Madrid and Paris.
She has produced and directed more than 25 documentaries for television. Her work deals mainly with social issues, in particular migration and the place of women. In 2015, her film “Ali’Ens” was nominated in the best documentary category at the Asian TV Awards. Paula Palacios is a specialist in the Arab world, where she often participates in festivals as a member of the jury. “Drowning Letters” is her first cinema feature.
