Sundays

Director: 

Alauda Ruiz de Azua

Genre: 

Drama

Country/Region of production: 

Spain

Synopsis:

Ainara, 17, is an outstanding student with a promising future, and her family expects her to go to college and embark on her own life journey. Yet at this critical crossroads of life, she suddenly tells her family she wants to become a cloistered nun in a convent. Her decision is like a stone tossed into a still lake, sending ripples surging through the whole family.

Her father falls silent and shies away from her choice, while her aunt suspects she has been manipulated under religious influence. As tensions escalate, long-suppressed emotions and hidden rifts among family members gradually come to light. Seen through the lens of one family, the Spanish film Sundays explores faith, free will, family bonds and the unavoidable life choices that come with growing up.

Why we recommend it:

Sundays ranks among Spain's most acclaimed films of recent years. The feature took home the Golden Shell, the top prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and secured major accolades including Best Picture and Best Director at the 2026 Goya Awards, cementing its status as one of Spain's landmark cinematic releases of the year.

Director Alauda Ruiz de Azua excels at depicting family dynamics and female coming-of-age with subtlety and restraint. In Sundays, she once again turns her lens on an ordinary family. Through a seemingly personal choice rooted in faith, the film sparks in-depth discussions spanning generational divides, familial bonds and the meaning of life. Avoiding contrived dramatic conflicts, it unfolds characters' inner struggles and personal growth amid the gentle ebbs and flows of everyday life.

Notably, Argentine actor Juan Minujin joins the cast. Audiences in China are familiar with him: in 2024, he attended the Shanghai International Film Festival with Adult, which won the Jury Grand Prix at the SIFF Golden Goblet Awards. In Sundays, he delivers another nuanced, polished performance.

For viewers fond of Spanish-language cinema and family dramas, as well as those interested in contemporary Spanish social and cultural themes, Sundays is an unmissable gem.