The Rye Horn

In 1970s rural Galicia, the beauty of the golden rye fields belies a hidden desperation. Removed from modern medicine and steeped in strict social mores, the women of an isolated fishing village give birth in extreme agony. Some are compelled to pluck a fungus from the swaying rye for use in infusions that induce abortions. Midwife María spends her time helping mothers-to-be, even as it draws suspicion from the community. When disaster strikes, María must escape to Portugal via an old smugglers’ route, dependent on the kindness of other women. Director Jaione Camborda’s unsparing but vividly immersive film won the top prize at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.