SIFF Movie: May Day

Iván (Silver Chicón), a young trans man working in a greenhouse in southern Spain, shoulders the burden of supporting his family through long, grueling shifts. His routine is disrupted by the arrival of Hadoum (Herminia Loh Moreno), a migrant worker of Moroccan descent who drifts from job to job in her battered van. Though they could not be more different, an undeniable chemistry sparks between them. As their relationship deepens, Iván is promoted and becomes Hadoum’s supervisor, throwing their attraction into a precarious and ethically charged path. Set against the working-class landscape of Almería, the film reveals the contradictions of inequality shaped by identity, labor, and social prejudice. Iván and Hadoum must navigate external expectations while confronting their own fears and desires. Chicón and Loh Moreno anchor the film with performances full of resilience, openness, and quiet nobility, bringing their characters to life with profound humanity and emotional depth. Winner of the Teddy Award at the Berlinale Film Festival and three Silver Biznagas at the Málaga Film Festival—including the Special Jury Prize and Best Male Performance for Chicón—Ian de la Rosa’s striking debut offers a vivid portrait of social divides: between employers and employees, “Spaniards” and immigrants. Against this backdrop, a tender, Romeo-and-Juliet–like romance unfolds, where love dares to bridge the divides that society has set between them.