“Salve Maria”, interview with director Mar Coll
Fred Film Radio sat with Mar Coll, the visionary director behind Salve Maria, a psychological thriller that competes at this year’s Locarno Film Festival. The film dives deep into the complexities of motherhood, examining the darker emotions that often go unspoken.
A Journey into the Dark Corners of Motherhood
Salve Maria centers on a young mother, a writer, struggling to bond with her newborn. Her life takes a disturbing turn when she becomes obsessed with a nearby infanticide case, fearing she might succumb to similar thoughts. Mar Coll explains that the film, co-written with her close friend and fellow mother, aims to expose the darker aspects of motherhood that are rarely discussed, capturing the ambivalence that accompanies this life-changing experience, there is “always a little bit of darkness when you become a mother, and that’s what’s interesting because it’s not often said.”
Balancing Personal Experience with Fiction
While Salve Maria is an adaptation of a novel, Mar Coll reveals that her personal experiences as a mother deeply influenced the film. Salve Maria offers an honest portrayal of the loneliness and fear that can accompany new motherhood but also leaves room for hope. “We wanted to communicate emotions that have been in our experience,” she adds, noting that the ambivalence of motherhood—its mix of good feelings, love, and attachment alongside darker emotions—was a central theme in the film.
The Power of Genre
Coll chose the psychological thriller genre to tell Maria’s story, recognizing its perfect fit for the visceral, irrational journey of early motherhood. “Motherhood at the beginning has all this irrational journey for the mother… it’s so visceral and physical,” she explains. The genre allowed Coll to explore the intense physicality of pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as the overwhelming fear and guilt that can arise.
The Role of Setting and Atmosphere
Salve Maria‘s setting plays a crucial role in conveying Maria’s emotional state. The claustrophobic, dark house where muc