La Maternal - (2022)

This guide provides an overview of , a Spanish teen drama written and directed by Pilar Palomero. The film is celebrated for its raw social realism and empathetic portrayal of juvenile motherhood. Core Premise & Plot

The story follows , a defiant 14-year-old who lives with her struggling single mother, Penélope, in a roadside diner. After a social worker discovers Carla is five months pregnant, she is moved to "La Maternal," a specialized shelter for underage mothers at risk of social exclusion. La maternal (2022)

Much of the film takes place within the shelter in Barcelona, where Carla must learn the heavy responsibilities of adulthood while still essentially being a child herself. This guide provides an overview of , a

Carla Quílez, a breakout performer who was one of the few professional actors among a cast that included non-professionals playing fictionalized versions of themselves. After a social worker discovers Carla is five

Carla struggles with her fear of being a "bad mother" like her own was, eventually finding solidarity and emotional growth through the community of young women at the shelter. Cast and Crew