Gaua
Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo
Writer: Paul Urkijo Alijo
Cast: Yune Nogueiras, Elena Irureta, Ane Gabarain, Iñake Irastorza, Xabi López, Erika Olaizola, Manex Fuchs
Part of: SLASH 1/2 Filmfestival
Seen on: 8.5.2026

Content Note: domestic violence, (critical treatment of) misogyny, queermisia

Plot:
Kattalin (Yune Nogueiras) was married against her will to Pello (Xabi López). She has endured for a while, but she also hatched a plan and she is ready to run away. Unfortunately, running away also means entering the woods at night where something immediately starts hunting her and she meets a trio of strange women (Elena Irureta, Ane Gabarain, Iñake Irastorza). The women start telling her stories – stories that appear to be intimately connected to Kattalin.

Gaua starts of very strong, but I found myself nodding off towards the end, despite not being all that tired (or so I thought). Nevertheless, it is a take on classic witches that I can absolutely roll with.

There are times when I fall asleep at the movies and it is 100% because the movies are boring and/or not for me. Other times, I am simply very tired. In this case, it might have been a mix of both, simply because I wasn’t that tired going into the film. And yet, the parts of it I saw were really pretty strong, albeit maybe a little slow, so it isn’t as clear-cut.

In any case, the movie gives us a classic witch story set in the 17th century. Where many films which use that setting unfortunately rather reproduce misogyny, Gaua is obviously, clearly, unambiguously on the witches‘ side which I very much appreciate. There is an epigraph that says (I am paraphrasing): we take the monsters into which you make us to keep us small and feed them until they are big enough to eat you. And hell yeah to that.

It also has some really beautiful and unusual visuals that are probably the film’s biggest strength. Plus, it also turned out to be a queer lovestory, so it definitely has that going for itself. Although it seems that it was trying to surprise the audience with that twist, which a) didn’t work because I guessed and b) why?

So, the film definitely has a lot going for it, and I can see myself re-watching it at some point to catch up on the minutes I missed and see if it works better for me the second time around. Although it really didn’t not work for me this time, either, despite my sleepiness.

Summarizing: if you like witches, you should go for it.