Forever Your Maternal Animal

Forever Your Maternal Animal
International promotional poster
SpanishSiempre soy tu animal materno
Directed byValentina Maurel
Screenplay byValentina Maurel
Produced by
  • Benoît Roland
  • Grégoire Debailly
Starring
  • Daniela Marín Navarro
  • Mariangel Villegas
  • Marina de Tavira
  • Reinaldo Amién Gutiérrez
CinematographyNicolás Wong
Edited byBertrand Conard
Production
companies
  • Wrong Men
  • Geko Films
Distributed by
  • Cinéart
  • JHR Films
Release date
  • 16 May 2026 (2026-05-16) (Cannes)
Running time
100 minutes
Countries
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Mexico
LanguageSpanish

Forever Your Maternal Animal (Spanish: Siempre soy tu animal materno) is a 2026 drama film written and directed by Valentina Maurel. It stars Daniela Marín Navarro, Mariangel Villegas, Marina de Tavira, and Reinaldo Amién Gutiérrez.

The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2026, where its female ensemble won the section's Best Actress prize.

Premise

After years of living abroad in Europe, Elsa returns to her hometown of San José, Costa Rica, to reconnect with her dysfunctional family.

Cast

  • Daniela Marín Navarro as Elsa
  • Mariangel Villegas as Amalia
  • Marina de Tavira as Isabel
  • Reinaldo Amién Gutiérrez as Nahuel

Production

Writer-director Valentina Maurel had previously worked with actors Daniela Marín Navarro and Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez on her debut feature film, I Have Electric Dreams (2022). Wanting an "experienced actress" to play Elsa's mother, Maurel cast Mexican actress Marina de Tavira.[1]

The film was shot in the Zapote district of San José, Costa Rica, the neighborhood in which Maurel herself was raised.[1] The film received funding from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Film and Audiovisual Centre.[2]

Release

Writer-director Valentina Maurel and the cast of the film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Heretic owns the worldwide sales rights to the film, which was presented at the Marché du Film in May 2026.[3] Cinéart will release the film in the Benelux, while JHR Films will release the film in France.[4]

The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2026.[5][6] It was the first film by a Costa Rican filmmaker to make the Cannes Official Selection.[7] Ahead of the film's premiere, a trailer was released on 14 May.[8]

Daniela Marín Navarro, Mariangel Villegas, and Marina de Tavira, Un Certain Regard Best Actress winners

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 22 May 2026 Prix Un Certain Regard Valentina Maurel Nominated [9]
Un Certain Regard – Best Actress Marina de Tavira, Daniela Marín Navarro, and Mariangel Villegas Won

References

  1. 1 2 Sales Ross, Rafa (15 May 2026). "Costa Rica Scales New Heights With Cannes-Selected Filmmaker Valentina Maurel and 'Forever Your Maternal Animal'". Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  2. ↑ Engelen, Aurore (19 September 2025). "Valentina Maurel and Emmanuel Marre to enjoy support from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Film and Audiovisual Centre". Cineuropa. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Popp, Olivia (5 May 2026). "Heretic comes to Cannes with Forever Your Maternal Animal". Cineuropa. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  4. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (15 April 2026). "'Forever Your Maternal Animal' Picked Up by Heretic Ahead of Premiere in Cannes' Un Certain Regard (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Engelen, Aurore (30 April 2026). "Valentina Maurel to present her sophomore feature, Forever Your Maternal Animal, in Cannes' Un Certain Regard". Cineuropa. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Franco, Salvador (16 May 2026). "El esperado debut de Marina de Tavira en Cannes ocurre con "Siempre soy tu animal materno"". Excélsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Rivera, Marcella (17 May 2026). "Primera cineasta de Costa Rica en entrar en la selección oficial del Festival de Cannes: "Me siento muy honrada y con responsabilidad"". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Cabeza, Elisabet (14 May 2026). "'Forever Your Maternal Animal': first trailer for Valentina Maurel's Un Certain Regard Title title". Screen Daily. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (22 May 2026). "Un Certain Regard Winners: Sandra Wollner's 'Everytime' Takes Top Prize". Deadline. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
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