The feminist short film for which Verónica Echegui won a Goya Award as a director: you can watch it for free on this platform.

The recent death of Verónica Echegui, at the age of 42 , has shocked the world of cinema and culture in Spain. Although she was primarily known as an actress throughout her career, with four Goya Award nominations for her performances, she won the Goya Award for her work as a director and screenwriter , which adds a special dimension to her legacy.

That recognition came thanks to Tótem Loba , a short film released in 2021 and inspired by a personal experience Echegui herself had at age 17 during a village festival. The piece blends tradition and social criticism, showing how a festive ritual in which men dress up as wolves to chase women becomes a metaphor for the gender-based violence normalized in certain environments.

The director defined the short as a way of responding to the fear she felt at the time, and turned it into a costumbrist horror work with a feminist undertone . It's 22 minutes long and stars actress Isa Montalbán.

Upon receiving the 2022 Goya Award for Best Short Fiction Film , Echegui made a direct reference to Pedro Sánchez , who was present in the audience at the gala: "I would love for you to watch it with your daughters and your wife and then we could talk about it afterward," he told him publicly. Now, following the news of his death, the Prime Minister has expressed his regret , saying he is "shocked" and highlighting his "enormous talent and humility."

A feminist story with personal roots

The short film's title comes from Clarissa Pinkola's book Women Who Run with Wolves , a reference Echegui used to reinforce the idea of ​​women as totemic and powerful figures . Based on this, she constructed a story in which the protagonist must choose between following the crowd or listening to her own voice, posing a dilemma about the importance of not betraying oneself in the face of accepted traditions.

Shot in six days by a crew of around sixty people, the project established itself as Echegui's first film behind the camera . It marked an unexpected leap in his career and confirmed his interest in telling stories that directly confronted social structures.

Where to see 'Wolf Totem'

The short film Tótem Loba can be viewed completely free of charge through Divergente , a digital streaming platform that offers a catalog of audiovisual content of up to 59 minutes, directly at this link .

It's also available on Filmin , where it can be viewed as part of its subscription catalog. This is an opportunity to learn about Verónica Echegui's directorial perspective and understand why this work became one of the milestones of her career.