“The word forastera (outsider, foreigner) is used on the island of Mallorca to identify Spaniards from the peninsula who visit or have moved to the island. I’ve always thought this was a peculiar concept; such a broad word, reduced to a concrete group. I wanted to start from this abstract connotation and explore, through Antonia’s character, a more fluid idea of what it can mean to be a forastera.
Working with Zoe Stein, who plays Antonia, was an absolute delight. During the casting process, Zoe and I connected through our eerily similar backgrounds with each other and with the character. I was fascinated by her ability to move between these two personas, the teenage girl and the old woman, with such ease. Zoe brings a mysterious quality to Antonia that is charming and haunting at the same time.
Clothing can be such a powerful tool for nostalgia. Its color, texture, scent, even the way a garment moves can conjure deep memories of people. We’ve all snuck into our parents’ closets as children to play dress-up, pretending to be older, sophisticated, outside of ourselves. Having Antonia transform though this relic of a dress felt natural for a girl craving for change within herself.
Our amazing DP, Alana Mejía González, and I collaborated to develop the visual style for this story. It was important to us that Antonia’s magnetism was captivating from the beginning. The long sequences stem from the ghostly character in the film: the grandmother. These shots allude to a phantasmagoria, a presence in Antonia’s life, an energy that is pulling her toward a transformation.”
