Paloma López Carrillo’s ‘Say Goodbye’ to World Premiere at Visions Du Réel

Say Goodbye, the debut feature film by director Paloma López Carrillo, will have its world premiere at Visions du Réel, the prestigious documentary film festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The festival will take place from April 4 to 13, 2025, and the film will be part of the competitive Burning Lights section, dedicated to international films that explore new and contemporary cinematographic perspectives.

In Say Goodbye, her directorial debut, she navigates between a personal and universal gaze, exploring the pain of grief, the different ways of facing the present, and the restrained emotions of each character—Rosa, Sol, and Javier—following the disappearance of a loved one. All of this unfolds in contrast to the coldness of the environment and landscape.

The synopsis reads, “Under the imposing snow-capped mountains of Utah, a Mexican family lives with the uncertainty of a loved one’s disappearance. Through carefully crafted shots, Say Goodbye reveals the loneliness and silence tainting the daily routine of Rosa, Sol, and Javier, as the void becomes a constant presence. An achingly powerful and relevant film.”

Paloma López Carrillo has been recognized for her work as an editor on films such as La Jaula de Oro, for which she received the Ariel Award for Best Editing; La libertad del diablo, winner of the Amnesty International Prize at the Berlinale 2017; as well as Una corriente salvaje, Brujería, El hoyo en la cerca, among others.

“Say Goodbye explores not only the intimate and constant process of healing, but also the challenge of learning to live with the void left by absence. Rosa, Sol and Javier represent three faces of loss, said Paloma López Carrillo. “My desire is to immerse the viewer in a sensorial and emotional experience in which presence, time, silence and emotions – both expressed and silent – play an essential role in establishing a link with the present of the characters, all framed by the painful beauty of the surroundings and the lack of human connection of their context.”