{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox film | image = Becoming Ana poster.jpg | caption = Film poster | native_name = {{Infobox name module|es|La mitad de Ana|nolink=yes}} | director = Marta Nieto | screenplay = {{ubl|Marta Nieto|Beatriz Herzog}} | producer = {{ubl|María Zamora|Stefan Schmitz|Ramón Campos}} | starring = {{ubl|Marta Nieto|Noa Álvarez|Nahuel Pérez Biscayart}} | cinematography = Julián Elizalde | released = {{Film date|2024|10|21|Seminci|2025|01|10|Spain|df=yes}} | country = {{ubl|Spain|France}} | language = {{ubl|Spanish|French}} | distributor = Elastica | studio = {{ubl|Elastica|Avalon|Mr. Fields and Friends Cinema|Studiocanal}} }} '''''Becoming Ana'''''<ref name="seminci" /> ({{langx|es|'''La mitad de Ana'''|links=no|translation=Half of Ana}}) is a 2024 drama film directed by Marta Nieto (in her directorial debut film), who also stars alongside Noa Álvarez and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart.
== Plot == The plot follows the plight of museum guard Ana, who needs to learn to grapple with her 8-year-old child Son's exploration of self-identity and trans youth.
== Cast == {{Cast listing| * Marta Nieto<ref name="aisge" /> * Noa Álvarez as Son<ref name="aisge">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aisge.es/actualidad-m|website=Aisge|date=7 January 2025|first=Alberto|last=Úbeda-Portugués|title=Los estrenos del 10 de enero. 'La mitad de Ana'. Ser diferente}}</ref> * Nahuel Pérez Biscayart<ref name="aisge" /> * Sonia Almarcha as Blanca<ref name="aisge" /> * {{ill|Lorena López (actress)|ca|Lorena López|lt=Lorena López}} as Patricia<ref name="aisge" /> * Pablo Alamá as Pau<ref name="aisge" /> * Arnau Comas as Raúl<ref name="aisge" /> * Paula Braguinsky as Eva<ref name="aisge" /> }}
== Production == Nieto first began to develop the project for her feature film debut in 2019 within the Spanish Film Academy's 'Residencias Academia de Cine' program.<ref name="vf">{{Cite web|first=Darío|last=Gael Blando|title=Marta Nieto: “Más allá de lo normativo, lo estanco y lo binario está la vida”|date=14 November 2022|url=https://www.revistavanityfair.es/articulos/marta-nieto-entrevista-son-la-mitad-de-ana-debut-direccion|website=Vanity Fair}}</ref> As a part of the process, she wrote and directed the short film ''Son'', which screened at the Seminci and LesGaiCineMad.<ref name="vf" /> She then joined forces with Beatriz Herzog to write a "bigger, more complex" film.<ref name="vf" /> The film is an Elastica and Avalon co-production with Mr Fields and Friends Cinema and Studiocanal,<ref name="kaleidoscope">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cultura.gob.es/en/cultura/areas/cine/mc/spanish-kaleidoscope/films/fall-24/becoming-ana.html|website=Spanish Kaleidoscope|publisher=Ministerio de Cultura|date=16 September 2024|title=Becoming Ana [La mitad de Ana]}}</ref> with the participation of RTVE, Movistar Plus+, and À Punt and the backing from Ayuntamiento de Madrid, the Madrid regional administration, ICAA and {{ill|Institut Valencià de Cultura|ca|lt=IVC}}.<ref name="seminci" /> {{ill|Julián Elizalde|es}} served as director of photography.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cameraandlightmag.com/noticias/marta-nieto-debuta-en-la-direccion-con-la-mitad-de-ana-pelicula-que-tambien-coescribe-y-protagoniza/|website=Camera and Light Mag|title=Marta Nieto debuta en la dirección con ‘La mitad de Ana’, película que también coescribe y protagoniza|date=17 July 2023}}</ref> Shooting locations included Madrid.<ref>{{Cite web|website=Infobae|url=https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/01/22/madrid-tira-los-precios-para-convertir-la-capital-en-un-plato-de-rodaje-tasa-de-solo-49-euros-por-cada-solicitud-para-grabar-una-serie-pelicula-o-anuncio/|title=Madrid tira los precios para convertir la capital en un plató de rodaje: tasa de solo 49 euros por cada solicitud para grabar una serie, película o anuncio|date=22 January 2024|first=David|last=Fernández}}</ref>
== Release == The film had its world premiere at the 69th Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci) on 21 October 2024, in competition for the Golden Spike.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.laopiniondemurcia.es/cultura/2024/10/22/marta-nieto-mitad-ana-seminci-109997170.html|website=La Opinión de Murcia|title=Marta Nieto reflexiona como directora sobre las nuevas identidades de género|date=22 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20240826/9892694/marta-nieto-compite-mitad-ana-espiga-oro-semana-internacional-cine-valladolid-ep-agenciaslv20240826.html|website=La Vanguardia|date=26 September 2024|title=Marta Nieto compite con 'La mitad de Ana' por la Espiga de Oro en la Semana Internacional de Cine Valladolid}}</ref> Distributed by Elastica Films,<ref name="seminci">{{Cite web|url=https://www.seminci.com/en/peliculas/becoming-ana/|website=Seminci|title=Becoming Ana|access-date=6 October 2024}}</ref> it was scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 13 December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecartelera.com/noticias/virgen-roja-habitacion-lado-cine-espanol-queda-este-ano-78175/|website=ecartelera|first=Marcos|last=Vasco Martín-Grande|date=29 August 2024|title=De 'La virgen roja' a 'La habitación de al lado': El cine español que queda este 2024}}</ref> The release date was later set for 10 January 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europapress.es/andalucia/almeria-00350/noticia-marta-nieto-mitad-ana-fical-son-adultos-quienes-deben-aprender-gestionar-miedos-dudas-20241119160359.html|website=Europa Press|date=19 November 2024|title=Marta Nieto ('La mitad de Ana') en Fical: "Son los adultos quienes deben aprender a gestionar miedos y dudas"}}</ref>
== Reception == Javier Ocaña of ''El País'' wrote that "the uneveness of the situations is constant in a work that is as ambitious as it is difficult to crystallize".<ref>{{Cite web|website=El País|first=Javier|last=Ocaña|title=‘La mitad de Ana’: identidad de género y esquinazos vitales en una niña y una madre|author-link=Javier Ocaña|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2025-01-10/la-mitad-de-ana-identidad-de-genero-y-esquinazos-vitales-en-una-nina-y-una-madre.html|date=10 January 2025}}</ref>
Pere Vall of ''Fotogramas'' rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, billing it as a "a film with strong social and sociological overtones, but which does not rule out a foray into fantasy".<ref>{{Cite web|website=Fotogramas|date=10 January 2025|first=Pere|last=Vall|title=Crítica de 'La mitad de Ana', el debut como directora de Marta Nieto|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/peliculas-criticas/a63146959/la-mitad-de-ana-critica-pelicula/}}</ref>
Philipp Engel of ''Cinemanía'' rated ''Becoming Ana'' 3 out of 5 stars, declaring it "a film that makes a virtue of modesty", "although it runs the risk of seeming too self-absorbed".<ref>{{Cite web|website=Cinemanía|via=20minutos.es|first=Philipp|last=Engel|date=10 January 2025|title=Crítica de 'La mitad de Ana': la puesta de largo de Marta Nieto como directora|url=https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/criticas/critica-mitad-ana-puesta-largo-marta-nieto-como-directora-5670374/}}</ref>
== See also == * List of Spanish films of 2025
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:2024 directorial debut films Category:Spanish LGBTQ-related films Category:French LGBTQ-related films Category:2024 Spanish-language films Category:Films shot in Madrid Category:Avalon films Category:2024 LGBTQ-related films Category:2020s LGBTQ-related drama films Category:Spanish drama films Category:French drama films Category:2024 Spanish films Category:2024 French films Category:Elastica Films films {{authority control}}