La Maternal

Nominated for Best Film at Spain’s Goya Awards, this outstanding sample of social realism from Pilar Palomero (“Schoolgirls”) follows 14-year-old Carla, the newest resident at a Barcelona shelter for teenage mothers, as she faces the difficulties and social pariahdom of juvenile pregnancy. —M.G.Immature, hot-tempered Carla just found out she’s pregnant. At 14, with unreliable support from her mother, Carla moves into a shelter for teenage mothers that will serve as a safe, stable environment for her and her growing baby. The close-knit group of residents swap parenting tips and origin stories, condensing the difficult details of the paths that led each of them to unexpected motherhood. Through study sessions, sleepless nights, and carefree hangouts to just be teenagers, the girls find the supportive family most of them have never had. Still, Carla struggles to navigate her simultaneous roles as mother and child. At once visceral, heartbreaking, and empowering, LA MATERNAL gives audiences a window into the realities of teen pregnancy and the incredible resilience of these young mothers. —A.B.