Strange River
| Strange River | |
|---|---|
Catalan theatrical release poster | |
| Catalan | Estrany riu |
| Directed by | Jaume Claret Muxart |
| Screenplay by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Pablo Paloma |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Nika Son |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Elastica Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Catalan |
Strange River (Catalan: Estrany riu) is a 2025 coming-of-age drama film directed by Jaume Claret Muxart, in his directorial debut feature. It stars newcomer Jan Monter, alongside Nausicaa Bonnín, Jordi Oriol and Francesco Wenz. It is a Spanish-German co-production.
The film had its world premiere at the Orizzonti section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 29 August 2025. It was theatrically released in Spain on 3 October by Elastica Films.
Plot
The plot explores the sexual awakening of teenager Dídac upon coming across a mysterious boy in the waters during a bicycle trip with his family along the Danube.[1][2][3]
Cast
- Jan Monter as Dídac[4]
- Nausicaa Bonnín[3]
- Jordi Oriol[3]
- Francesco Wenz[3]
- Bernat Solé[3]
- Roc Colell as Guiu[5]
Production
The film is a Spanish-German co-production by ZuZú Cinema and Miramemira alongside Schuldenberg Films.[6][4] It had the participation of 3Cat and funding from Eurimages, ICAA, ICEC, FFF Bayern, and DFFF.[6] Shooting locations included the German state of Baden-Württemberg.[6]
Release
The film landed its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 29 August 2025.[7] Its festival run also included screenings in the 'Zabaltegi-Tabakalera' section of the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival,[8] the 22nd Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF), the 'Flash Forward' section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival,[9] and the New Directors competition of the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.[10]
Distributed by Elastica Films,[11] it was released theatrically in Spain on 3 October 2025.
Reception
Jonathan Romney of Screen International welcomed that Claret Muxart "shows a canny awareness of the tropes" [of Summer holiday stories], "giving them a fresh, sensitive working-over" in the film, which "sustains its mood of mystery and suggestion" throughout.[12]
Marta Medina del Valle of El Confidencial rated the film 4 out 5 stars, declaring it "delicate, poetic, and certainly nostalgic".[1]
Rubén Romero Santos of Cinemanía rated the film 3½ out of 5 stars, singling out as its sensory perception or hapticity as its most notable contribution.[11]
Matthew Joseph Jenner of International Cinephile Society rated the film 4½ out of 5 stars, billing it as a "an intimate, human story of identity that draws from a long tradition of coming-of-age narratives and stories of the birth of queer desire".[13]
The jury of the Reykjavík International Film Festival (Mohsen Makhmalbāf, Giona A. Nazzaro, and Saga Garðarsdóttir) awarding Strange River the Golden Puffin extolled how Claret Muxart "reveals a precocious and accomplished talent that never indulges in mannerisms or formalism", celebrating the film as "a complex symphony of unspoken yet deeply perceived emotions".[14]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 |
22nd Reykjavík International Film Festival | Golden Puffin | Won | ||
2026
|
18th Gaudí Awards | Best Film | Nominated | [15] | |
| Best New Director | Jaume Claret Muxart | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Nausicaa Bonnín | Nominated | |||
| Best New Performance | Bernat Solé Palau | Nominated | |||
| Jan Monter Palau | Nominated | ||||
| Best Production Supervision | Andrés Mellinas | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Nika Son | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Pablo Paloma | Nominated | |||
| 40th Goya Awards | Best New Director | Jaume Claret Muxart | Nominated | [16] | |
| Best New Actor | Jan Monter Palau | Nominated | |||
See also
References
- ^ a b Medina del Valle, Marta (3 October 2025). "'Extraño río': un despertar sexual en plenas vacaciones familiares". El Confidencial.
- ^ "'Estrany riu' , l'òpera prima de Jaume Claret Muxart, arriba a les sales". Acadèmia del Cinema Català. 29 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Jaume Claret aborda la educación sentimental en 'Extraño río': "No gira en torno al descubrimiento de la homosexualidad"". Europa Press. 1 October 2025.
- ^ a b Rivera, Alfonso (29 August 2025). "Review: Strange River". Cineuropa.
- ^ "El film «Estrany riu», on participa el solsoní Roc Colell Moncunill, seleccionat al Festival de Venècia". Nació Digital. 24 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Teixidó, Joan (23 July 2024). "Un joven de Juneda, actor de una película al lado de Nausicaa Bonin y Jordi Oriol". Segre.
- ^ Soler, Esteve (30 August 2025). "Venècia 2025 (Dia 3): Brillant «Estrany riu», de Jaume Claret Muxart". Regió7. Prensa Ibérica.
- ^ "Un total de 23 títulos, siete de ellos estrenos, formarán parte de Zabaltegi-Tabakalera del Festival de San Sebastián". Europa Press. 21 August 2025.
- ^ "German films and co-productions well represented at Busan International Film Festival". German Films. 27 August 2025.
- ^ "Chicago International Film Festival Announces International Competition Selections". Screen Magazine. 11 September 2025.
- ^ a b Romero Santos, Rubén (1 October 2025). "Crítica de 'Extraño río': Un debut prometedor con un manantial de sensualidad". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ Romney, Jonathan (29 August 2025). "'Strange River' review: A teenage boy encounters hidden desires on a trip along the Danube". Screen International.
- ^ Jenner, Matthew Joseph (29 August 2025). "Venice 2025 review: Strange River (Jaume Claret Muxart)". International Cinephile Society.
- ^ a b Abbatescianni, Davide (6 October 2025). "Jaume Claret Muxart's Strange River wins the Reykjavík Golden Puffin". Cineuropa.
- ^ Mantilla, Daniel (9 February 2026). "'Sirat', 'Frontera', Eva Libertad y los hermanos Cervantes triunfan en unos Gaudí que se olvidan por primera vez de Carla Simón". Kinótico.
- ^ Matossian, Juan Claudio (13 January 2026). "Los domingos y Sirat lideran las nominaciones a los Premios Goya 2026". Vanity Fair.
External links
- Strange River at ICAA's Catálogo de Cinespañol