In Rai Marìa’s “The Big Rip,” (“El gran desgarro”), an upcoming film from the Madrid Film School (ECAM) incubator program, aspiring writer Lorena is racing to finish her first novel in time for a prestigious literary prize — her last chance at some glory. Determined to meet the deadline, she isolates herself to focus, but the chaos of everyday life keeps intruding: a broken boiler in Madrid’s scorching summer, her flatmates’ crises, a neglected child next door, and above all, her brother’s spiraling paranoia as he becomes convinced the world is about to end.
Stuck on the final chapter, with no inspiration in sight, Lorena’s life begins to mirror the unraveling universe around her.
For Maria, “The Big Rip” will be her third feature and her most personal to date. “It cuts through me on every level. I think, in some way, it all began with the depression I experienced some time ago. Turning 40 wasn’t easy, and like the characters in this story, I felt something inside me break open,” she says.
“But even though the starting point was dark and painful, I always knew I wanted to make a comedy — an existential comedy — one that would allow me to look at our everyday struggles with humor and tenderness,” she adds.
“Not long ago, I realized that everything I do is marked by the idea of destiny,” she mused, adding: “Though each of my films is very different, in all of them I’ve tried to capture the invisible thread between the micro and the macro — that line (that tear) between the intimate, the banal, the everyday… and the transcendent — the moment of revelation.”
“Some of the themes that unsettle me most are present in this film: the housing crisis, the economic and emotional precarity the characters endure. But beyond the themes, what truly interests me is finding what I call ‘the lightning bolt’ — the idea, the concept that cuts through the film and gives it its cinematic shape. Without that bolt, there’s nothing,” she notes.
While she has filmed in her home region of Extremadura in recent years, Maria plans to shoot in Madrid since much of the story takes place in the working-class neighborhood of Carabanchel. “I’m finally making a film that feels truly contemporary — and unmistakably Madrilenian. The great rupture at the heart of the story could only happen in Madrid,” she says.
For producer Cristina Hergueta of Garde, “The Great Rip” will be her third collaboration with Maria, which began with feature “Karen,” followed by short “La niña mártir,” which went on to win the Gijón Film Festival.
“Both works were critically acclaimed and had strong festival runs. Now, we’re ready to take the next step — working together on what will be our most ambitious and expansive film to date,” says Hergueta.
“’The Great Rip’ is a natural evolution of our creative journey together. Over these eight years, Rai María and I have built a friendship that goes beyond the professional, allowing us to understand each other perfectly. We have grown side by side as filmmakers and cherish the team we’ve formed,” she adds.
According to Hergueta, the project is subject to a public funding cap of 75% of the total budget, which allows them to combine public grants with tax incentives. They’ve already secured private investors, and are in discussions with local co-producers as well as actively seeking international partners.
Combining their support from the Junta de Extremadura, the ECAM Industry Incubator and confirmed private investment, they’ve already secured 23% of the film’s financing, says Hergueta.
Among her other projects are artist Pedro G. Romero’s next two flamenco film projects: “Caracafé in Kazakhstan,” now in post and “Cinco Cadi,” in pre-production.
She adds: “We have just completed post-production on the documentary feature ‘What We Did in the Shadows’ by Sara Moralo, which follows a group of elderly LGBTQ+ individuals fighting to find a safe space after a lifetime of repression.”
