Movies: Queen of the coal (2025) by Agustina Macri: A powerful story of identity, labor, and superstition in the depths of the earth
- dailyentertainment95
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
When the mine becomes a mirror of truth and struggle
Miss Carbón (2025) is a Spanish-Argentinian biographical drama directed by Agustina Macri and written by Erika Halvorsen and Mara Pescio. The film stars Romina Escobar, Miguel Ángel Maciel, and Laura Grandinetti, and tells the story of a transgender woman who fulfills her dream of working in a carbon mine, only to confront an age-old superstition that forbids women from entering underground galleries.
Set against the harsh, masculine world of the Spanish mining industry, Miss Carbón follows its protagonist’s journey from self-affirmation to social defiance. After her gender transition, she faces rejection not just from her coworkers, but from the very traditions of her trade. The mine — dark, dangerous, and unyielding — becomes both her battleground and her sanctuary.
Premiering at San Sebastián 2025, the film was nominated for Best Ibero-American Film, praised for its authenticity, emotional resonance, and Romina Escobar’s transformative performance.
Why to Recommend: Courage beneath the surface
A rare working-class trans narrative: Miss Carbón brings representation into spaces rarely explored — the blue-collar, industrial world — giving voice to those whose struggles unfold in silence and shadows.It’s not just a story about identity; it’s about labor, belonging, and the human right to exist authentically in any environment.
Authentic and socially resonant: The film combines realism with emotional intimacy, portraying how faith, gender, and superstition collide in a world resistant to change. Its sincerity and empathy make it a landmark in inclusive Latin cinema.
Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/es/pelicula/miss-carbon-2025 (Spain)
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32832410/
About movie: https://morenafilms.com/en/portfolio/queen-of-coal/
What is the Trend Followed: Labor realism meets trans humanism
Miss Carbón follows the contemporary “social realism meets identity” trend in Spanish-language cinema, blending personal transformation with systemic critique.
Social realism revival: Like Alcarràs and La Hija de Todas las Rabias, it captures everyday labor through a poetic yet unsentimental lens, focusing on marginalized workers’ resilience.
Trans narratives grounded in work and survival: Similar to Una Mujer Fantástica and Something You Said Last Night, it portrays transgender identity through livelihood, not just transition.
Industrial feminism: It joins films such as Made in Spain and The Olive Tree, which explore women’s place in traditional, male-dominated industries.
Cultural folklore and gender: The superstition that “women bring bad luck underground” ties into a larger cinematic exploration of myth, faith, and gender taboos.
Minimalist emotional realism: Drawing from Latin American neorealism, it uses silence, texture, and environment to express emotion more than dialogue.
Summary: Miss Carbón belongs to the new Iberian wave of moral realism, where identity politics and working-class life converge through tactile, human storytelling.
Director’s Vision: Empathy through endurance
Agustina Macri crafts the film with compassion and restraint, allowing the audience to feel both the claustrophobia of the mine and the quiet dignity of survival.
The mine as metaphor: Every descent underground becomes symbolic — of both danger and rebirth. The deeper the protagonist digs, the closer she comes to her true self.
Visual tone: Macri’s direction emphasizes contrast — light and soot, voice and silence, authenticity and superstition — creating a world where every frame feels lived-in and morally charged.
A political act in disguise: Beneath its quiet surface, the film is an act of resistance — a demand for visibility for trans workers in spaces where identity has long been buried.
Themes: Identity, superstition, and dignity in labor
Gender and folklore: The story challenges generational myths that exclude women — and by extension, trans people — from traditional masculine environments.
Faith vs. fact: The miners’ superstition becomes a metaphor for social fear — the refusal to confront difference or change.
Body and work: The film explores how physical labor defines worth, and how transitioning disrupts a system built on fixed ideas of strength and gender.
Isolation and belonging: Underground, the protagonist finds both alienation and a strange sense of home — a paradox that defines her existence.
Resilience and redefinition: Her courage to return to the mine after transition becomes an act of reclaiming space — and rewriting what “womanhood” means in a world of men.
Key Success Factors: Authentic performances and emotional realism
Romina Escobar’s groundbreaking performance: The Yo, Adolescente star delivers an emotionally raw and restrained portrayal, balancing vulnerability with pride.
Miguel Ángel Maciel and Laura Grandinetti: Their performances add complexity, portraying both prejudice and compassion within a rigid social structure.
Agustina Macri’s eye for realism: Her subtle yet immersive direction turns the mine into a living character — oppressive yet intimate, brutal yet spiritual.
Cinematography by Federico Marzullo: The interplay of dim light and black dust creates a visceral texture, echoing both the suffocation and resilience of underground life.
Music and silence: The sparse score by Simone Mercado allows the sound of mining — the clank of metal, the breath of effort — to serve as emotional punctuation.
Awards & Nominations: Recognition for social impact
Miss Carbón received 1 major nomination at the San Sebastián International Film Festival (2025) for:
Best Ibero-American Debut Feature (Agustina Macri)
The film’s bold social message and unflinching realism were widely praised, especially within the festival’s “Made in Spain” showcase.
Critics Reception: Real, raw, and quietly revolutionary
Variety: “A moving portrait of labor and identity. Miss Carbón digs deep — both literally and metaphorically — into what it means to live truthfully.”
El País: “Agustina Macri turns superstition into social metaphor. A subtle but searing indictment of fear and ignorance.”
Cineuropa: “Romina Escobar radiates authenticity in a film that redefines working-class heroism for the modern age.”
The Guardian (Spanish Edition): “Visually suffocating yet spiritually uplifting. The mine becomes both hell and home.”
Summary: Critics lauded Miss Carbón for its emotional honesty, social relevance, and strong performances, noting its quiet yet powerful impact.
Reviews: A film that breathes with humanity
Supporters: Called it “heartfelt and brave,” praising its balance of realism and compassion.
Skeptics: Found its pacing slow, but acknowledged its sincerity and strong sense of place.
Audience consensus: “A tender, authentic story that mines the depths of human dignity.”
Summary: Audiences connected with its humanity and found it deeply affecting — a film that speaks softly but leaves echoes long after.
Movie Trend: Inclusive realism and working-class transcendence
Miss Carbón embodies the rise of inclusive working-class cinema, where personal transformation intersects with social commentary. It follows a broader movement of films redefining labor through the lens of identity, feminism, and LGBTQ+ visibility.
Social Trend: Reclaiming visibility in spaces of exclusion
The film mirrors today’s global dialogue about trans rights in traditional industries, asking who gets to belong in “masculine” professions. It transforms one woman’s story into a universal question about superstition, progress, and dignity — a reminder that inclusion begins where fear ends.
Final Verdict: Intimate, defiant, and profoundly human
Miss Carbón (2025) is a quietly radical work of realism, where faith, superstition, and gender collide in the dark heart of a mine. With Romina Escobar’s luminous performance and Agustina Macri’s compassionate direction, it becomes a story not just about survival — but about rewriting the rules of existence itself.Verdict: A heartfelt, courageous film — forged in coal, powered by truth.