For millions of Spanish television viewers, Ricardo Gómez will always be associated with Carlitos Alcántara. Now, the actor is exploring family life from a completely different perspective. His first feature as a writer and director, A Family (Una familia), is heading toward Spanish theaters in early 2027, with Filmax introducing the drama to international buyers this November.
Rather than following one family through a conventional timeline, the film explores three defining moments across different years. At its center is a mother whose decisions shape the lives of those closest to her. The result is a story about identity, emotional responsibility and the complicated relationships that connect generations.
Ricardo Gómez moves behind the camera after growing up on Spanish television
Ricardo Gómez became a familiar face across Spain through his portrayal of Carlitos Alcántara in Remember When (Cuéntame cómo pasó), the longest-running series in Spanish television history. Having spent so much of his career portraying a fictional family member, he is now examining family relationships through his own screenplay.
His directorial debut takes place in a modest Madrid neighborhood, a setting that reflects the environment in which he grew up as a child actor.
The project also marks a significant step in his creative career. Ricardo Gómez is responsible for both writing and directing the feature, giving him the opportunity to establish a filmmaking identity separate from his best-known television role.
According to Variety’s November 11 exclusive, Filmax has joined the project and is presenting it at the American Film Market (AFM) with a teaser trailer. The company also plans to release the film theatrically in Spain in early 2027.
A Family connects three turning points through Clara, Kike and Pablo
The story introduces Clara, Kike and their son Pablo through three episodes separated by several years. Rather than presenting their experiences chronologically, the screenplay moves backward and forward in time, gradually revealing the circumstances that define their relationships.
It begins in early 2002, when young Pablo makes his debut as a child actor in a television family saga. This opening immediately establishes an interesting connection between performance and personal identity. Pablo is entering a fictional family on television while belonging to another family whose history is far more complicated.
The narrative then travels roughly a decade into the past. Clara and Kike meet at a nightclub, where she performs as part of a dance act. Kike, meanwhile, is temporarily outside prison on a one-day permit to attend his father’s funeral. Their encounter becomes the starting point for a relationship shaped by difficult circumstances.
Another chapter takes place a couple of years later, during Pablo’s baptism. Events surrounding the celebration push Clara toward a decision that will alter the future of all three family members.
The film’s presentation at the 71st Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci) describes these episodes as three stories about identity, divided by time but connected through blood ties. That structure invites viewers to reconsider earlier scenes as new information emerges.
Importantly, Clara’s perspective gives the drama its emotional center. Ricardo Gómez has explained that he wants to examine the complexity of family relationships while recognizing the strength of single mothers. His intention is to honor women who have faced the responsibility of raising a family largely on their own.
Claudia Traisac and Patrick Criado lead the cast
The film brings together established Spanish performers and a newcomer in its central family roles. Their characters occupy different positions within the story, allowing the drama to explore parental responsibility, childhood and relationships between generations.
The confirmed cast includes:
- Claudia Traisac (Escobar: Paradise Lost) plays Clara, the mother whose choices become central to the family’s future.
- Patrick Criado (Bitter Christmas) portrays Kike, Pablo’s father, whose relationship with Clara begins during a brief prison leave.
- Ana Wagener (The Invisible Guest) plays Kike’s long-suffering mother, adding another generation to the family portrait.
- Víctor Lite, a newcomer, takes on the role of Pablo, the young boy whose acting debut opens the film.
Beyond its performances, the production has a distinctive visual approach. It was shot on 16mm film and incorporates immersive long takes designed to keep viewers close to the characters’ emotional experiences.
One notable example is a two-minute reaction shot focusing on Clara through a car window. Rather than relying on rapid editing, this approach gives an individual performance time to develop. It also suggests that the film’s emotional weight will come from observing its characters as much as from the events surrounding them.
Filmax takes the Ricardo Gómez drama to international buyers at AFM
Before its planned theatrical release, A Family already reached festival audiences. The film held its world premiere at the 71st Valladolid International Film Festival, which ran from October 23 to 31, 2026. It appeared in the Official Section out of competition.
Now, attention turns to its commercial journey. Filmax is introducing the film to buyers at this week’s American Film Market, using a teaser trailer to present the project internationally. Its confirmed theatrical release window currently applies to Spain, where audiences are expected to see it in early 2027.
The main production details are:
- Original title: Una familia.
- International title: A Family.
- Writer and director: Ricardo Gómez.
- Production countries: Spain and Peru.
- World premiere: 71st Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci), October 2026.
- Festival selection: Official Section, out of competition.
- International market presentation: American Film Market, November 2026.
- Sales presentation: Filmax, with a teaser trailer.
- Spanish theatrical distributor: Filmax.
- Spanish release window: Early 2027.
- Filming format: 16mm, incorporating immersive long takes.
- Production companies: El Desorden Crea, Lágrimas Films, Estela Films and Tondero.
Four production companies back the Ricardo Gómez film
Several experienced producers are involved. El Desorden Crea was founded by Carlos Montero, creator of Élite. Lágrimas Films brings Diego Betancor, whose credits include Élite and Respira, while Estela Films is associated with Félix Tusell, known for El Trono.
Peruvian company Tondero, whose credits include Ramón y Ramón, completes the producing partnership. The film represents its fifth co-production with Spain. Betancor has also recalled receiving the screenplay from Gómez back in 2020, showing that the project has been developing for several years.
The AFM presentation comes during an active period for Spanish cinema on the international market. Another project attracting attention is Mare Nostrum, the upcoming Antonio Banderas maritime drama, which is also being presented to buyers this November.
Meanwhile, the Hernán Cortés historical film starring Antonio Banderas is another Spanish-connected production making headlines this week.
The film places a mother’s choices at the heart of its story
What makes A Family particularly interesting is the relationship between its structure and its central theme. Three separate moments can reveal very different sides of the same people. A decision that seems difficult to understand in one period may carry greater emotional meaning once audiences discover what happened before it.
That approach also distinguishes the film from a straightforward family chronicle. Instead of covering every stage of Clara, Kike and Pablo’s lives, Ricardo Gómez concentrates on events that define who they become. Consequently, the gaps between those moments are just as important as the scenes themselves.
For viewers familiar with his television career, there is an additional point of interest. Ricardo Gómez is returning to the subject of family, but this time he controls the story from behind the camera. His debut offers an opportunity to discover how his experience as a performer translates into directing actors and shaping intimate drama.
With its Seminci premiere completed, Filmax now has the task of bringing the film to a wider audience. The next confirmed milestone is its planned Spanish theatrical release in early 2027. Until then, its combination of unconventional storytelling, 16mm photography and a strong maternal perspective makes A Family a Spanish drama worth keeping on the radar.
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