Filmmaker Agustina Macri arrives at the San Sebastian Film Festival with ‘Queen of Coal’, a feature film showcased in the Made in Spain section, which tells the story of Carlita Rodríguez, a pioneer and symbol of resistance in the mining industry of Argentine Patagonia.

For those who don’t know it, how would you introduce ‘Queen of Coal’?

It is a film inspired by the life of Carlita Rodríguez, the first woman miner in Argentine Patagonia. Traditionally, women were not allowed to work as miners and could only enter the mine once a year, on the 4^th of December, during the celebrations of Santa Bárbara. Raised among coal mountains and close to the first deposits in Río Turbio, she always dreamt of becoming a miner. But Carlita, who was born in the body of Carlos, had always felt like a woman and began her painful transition in adolescence. Thanks to her male identification document, at the age of 18 she was able to start working in the mine. After more than 12 years of struggle, Carlita, with her “trans superpower”, managed to ensure that other women could work in the mine too, and to change the system forever.

What drove you to tell this story?

Everything. I think there wasn’t a single element that didn’t attract me: the fact that it was the real story of a trans woman, set in Patagonia, with all the photographic potential promised by the mine and the landscape. And when I met Carlita, even more so. With just one hug I understood that the decision to tell her life was something profoundly rooted in me.

Which aspects of Carlita’s real story were the most difficult to portray in the film?

I think there was a conscious decision, both in the script and direction, to make a luminous, hopeful and inspiring film. Carlita’s life included many painful and dark moments, especially in her childhood and adolescence, when she began her transition and her family and community started to reject and discriminate against her. These were moments we didn’t want to delve into, but neither did we want to ignore them. Finding that balance was challenging.

What were the main challenges for you as a director in dealing with such a subject so charged with social and emotional symbolism?

I wanted to enter the trans world with great respect and sensitivity. I also wanted to immerse myself in a town with a culture so strongly tied to mining and its powerful symbolism. I wanted to try to portray that ritual in a realistic and human way, which is why we decided to work with real people from the town and, at times, take an almost documentary-style approach to their celebrations.

What is the main message the film hopes to convey about gender, identity and overcoming challenges?

More tolerance and love for the people around us. Often, we don’t know what lies behind each person, how much they have been through and suffered to get to where they are—alive, in Carlita’s case, and as she tells it. That’s why I believe the film seeks compassion, tolerance, love and respect for those who choose a different path.

Now you’ll be participating in the San Sebastian Film Festival. What does this mean for the film, and what do you expect from your participation?

San Sebastian is one of the most beautiful and important places for any director and film. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of a festival section, reach more people, explore new spaces, and amplify the message.

Do you think it could help open new doors or reach a wider audience?

Absolutely. I think San Sebastian has that power, and with each edition it gains even more strength. That phrase, “paint your village and you’ll paint the world”… there’s something very powerful about telling Carlita’s life in such a remote part of the planet and having it reach other parts of the world. And that is the magic and strength of cinema.

What will be the film’s journey after the festival?

‘Queen of Coal’ premiered in cinemas in Spain last June, and in the coming months it will be available on Movistar+ and Filmin. It will also be released in cinemas in Argentina on 2 October. Later this year, it will be available in Latin America, the United States and Canada via Netflix, and we will soon be able to confirm more festivals and countries where the film will be shown.