Costa Rican director Alexandra Latishev Salazar is reimagining classical siren mythology through a distinctly feminist lens with her upcoming feature film “Sirens,” which has garnered support from Spain’s Vitrine Filmes España. The production marks a significant milestone for the director, whose previous work comprise the Oscar-submitted “Medea” and the gothic horror film “Delirio.” Set to be showcased at Panama’s International Film Festival this week as part of the Su Mirada programme honouring women directors from Central America and the Caribbean, “Sirens” constitutes Latishev’s third feature and demonstrates her ongoing commitment on women’s experiences. The film will be jointly produced with Costa Rica’s La Linterna Films and the regional distributor Pacifica Grey, marking Vitrine Filmes España’s first Costa Rican co-production whilst positioning the project a presence within Europe’s vibrant independent film sector.
A Modern Look at Ancient Mythology
“Sirens” departs from traditional interpretations of the mythological marine beings, anchoring the story in contemporary Central America whilst imbuing it with gothic and symbolic fantasy elements. The film tracks Telsi, a woman who secures work as a cleaner on a boat moored at a nearby marina, where she becomes entangled with a enigmatic circle of female inhabitants. As Telsi watches her fellow inhabitants leaving at daybreak, only to return drenched and visibly distressed, she embarks on her own nocturnal investigation. What she finds at the river mouth radically alters her comprehension of selfhood and change, as her body undergoes a startling metamorphosis into a half-crocodile creature, blending dread with the wondrous.
Latishev’s engagement with siren mythology intentionally challenges the established patriarchal narratives that have historically shaped these creatures in Western storytelling. By situating the narrative within a Central American framework and centring women’s agency and bodily autonomy, the director opens opportunities for examining questions of survival, collective action and reinvention. The film’s imaginative symbolic layers allow for more thorough exploration of how women manage structural inequalities and environmental displacement. This reimagining reflects Latishev’s ongoing artistic investment to foregrounding women’s experiences and perspectives, establishing “Sirens” as both a genre piece and a socially conscious meditation on present-day women’s realities.
- Protagonist Telsi explores mysterious companions vanishing at dawn
- Body metamorphosis scenes blend horror with symbolic mythological elements
- Central American setting anchors mythological narrative in contemporary reality
- Film investigates women’s agency through non-traditional creature mythology
Distribution Across Europe and International Ambitions
The announcement of Vitrine Filmes España’s participation marks a significant milestone for “Sirens,” establishing the film within Europe’s thriving arthouse distribution landscape. By obtaining support from the San Sebastián-based production and distribution arm of Brazil’s Vitrine Filmes, Latishev’s third feature achieves unprecedented access to continental territories where arthouse and genre-driven films flourishes. This deliberate collaboration arrives strategically timed, mere days before the film’s screening at Su Mirada, the IFF Panama’s prestigious showcase focused on works by female directors across Central America and the Caribbean, enhancing its visibility amongst industry professionals and potential collaborators.
The deal highlights growing international acknowledgment of Costa Rican film and feminist-centred narrative work within the international film sector. Vitrine Filmes España’s support for “Sirens” reflects wider sector movements towards supporting unique perspectives that combine genre conventions with socially conscious narratives. For Latishev, whose previous features “Medea” and “Delirio” have garnered critical acclaim and international sales representation, this collaboration constitutes affirmation of her creative direction whilst providing the resources and distribution infrastructure necessary for “Sirens” to connect with discerning audiences across Europe and further afield.
Vitrine Filmes España’s Key Position
Julia Juncadella, speaking on behalf of Vitrine Filmes España, emphasised the company’s commitment to accompanying Latishev on this significant endeavour. She highlighted the film’s effective blend of stylistic components with modern viewpoints and its profound connection to its geographical context. The executive’s statement emphasises Vitrine Filmes España’s commitment to supporting unique creative talent from overlooked areas, positioning “Sirens” as indicative of the company’s wider artistic strategy and funding approach within the worldwide art cinema landscape.
This first Costa Rican co-production for Vitrine Filmes España signals the company’s expanding reach into filmmaking across Central America. The collaboration between La Linterna Films and Pacifica Grey showcases a collaborative approach to film production that honours local knowledge whilst utilising European distribution networks. Such arrangements become ever more essential for indie filmmakers pursuing viable routes to international markets, ensuring that culturally specific narratives secure the platforms for commercial and critical success they merit within competitive global exhibition landscapes.
Joint Creation and Artistic Approach
The creation of “Sirens” represents a carefully orchestrated collaboration between three separate entities, each bringing specialised expertise to the venture. La Linterna Films, the production company based in Costa Rica helmed by Latishev and filmmaker Federico Montero, serves as the creative heart, whilst Vitrine Filmes España delivers European production infrastructure and distribution expertise. Pacifica Grey, founded by Marcelo Quesada and recognised as one of Central America’s most prominent arthouse distribution companies, provides essential regional market knowledge and exhibition connections. This tripartite arrangement exemplifies contemporary independent filmmaking approaches, whereby collaborative ventures transcend geographical boundaries to combine resources, expertise, and distribution channels. The partnership framework enables “Sirens” to maintain its unique creative direction whilst securing the financial backing and international reach necessary for complex fantasy genre productions.
Latishev’s conceptual framework for “Sirens” arose out of a deliberate intention to reinterpret classical siren mythology in a contemporary Central American context. The director’s dedication to centring women’s perspectives and perspectives—visible across her earlier narrative films—manifests here through a allegorical fantastical story that interrogates displacement, bodily transformation, and women’s autonomy. By anchoring her imaginative components within familiar geographic and social contexts, Latishev constructs a narrative that functions simultaneously as close personal examination and wider social critique. The collaborative development process has enabled these artistic goals to flourish whilst remaining grounded in practical production considerations, ensuring that the film’s genre elements strengthen rather than diminish its affective and intellectual depth.
| Production Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Lead Production Company | La Linterna Films (Costa Rica) |
| European Co-Producer | Vitrine Filmes España (Spain) |
| Distribution Partner | Pacifica Grey (Central America) |
| Development Showcase | IFF Panama’s Su Mirada (Female Directors Showcase) |
La Linterna Films’ Body of Work
La Linterna Films has positioned itself as a key player within Costa Rican cinema, notably through its dedication to narratively sophisticated and thematically rich storytelling. The company’s creative collaboration with Latishev has yielded original creations that centre women’s perspectives whilst engaging seriously with genre conventions. The studio’s guiding principles—emphasising artistic integrity alongside commercial sustainability—positions it as an ideal creative partner for projects like “Sirens,” which demand both ambitious imagination and controlled delivery.
Federico Montero’s role as director-producer within La Linterna Films adds further creative sophistication and creative direction to the venture. The company’s track record demonstrates ongoing involvement with festival circuits and international sales mechanisms, guaranteeing that projects secure adequate industry exposure amongst industry professionals and knowledgeable viewers. This proven framework becomes invaluable for “Sirens,” helping the film to move through development phases whilst maintaining momentum towards its eventual release and market rollout across international and European territories.
Thematic Consistency in Latishev’s Filmography
“Sirens” embodies a organic development across Alexandra Latishev Salazar’s artistic trajectory, building upon thematic preoccupations evident in her previous work. Her first film “Medea” (2017) and subsequent film “Delirio” (2024) both centred women’s experiences with substantial emotional and psychological complexity, establishing the director’s focus on examining women’s viewpoints via genre-inflected narratives. Rather than discarding these concerns, “The Sirens” develops them toward symbolic fantasy territory, allowing Latishev to examine mythological frameworks conventionally shaped through male perspectives. The mythology of sirens—conventionally depicting women as dangerous seductresses—receives fundamental reimagining by way of her feminist perspective, reframing these characters as complex characters whose metamorphoses reflect wider experiences of displacement, loss, and agency within patriarchal structures.
The shift from gothic horror in “Delirio” towards allegorical fantasy in “Sirens” demonstrates Latishev’s expanding generic vocabulary and artistic aspirations. This movement permits more profound examination of bodily autonomy, metamorphosis, and resistance without abandoning the raw emotional intensity evident in her earlier work. By positioning her protagonist Telsi within a community of mysterious women whose nocturnal metamorphoses suggest both fragility and supernatural power, Latishev crafts a story that interrogates conventional gender expectations whilst embracing women’s unity and self-determination. The Central American setting grounds these mythological concerns in modern cultural and geographical particularity, ensuring that the narrative’s magical dimensions serve genuine narrative purpose rather than mere spectacle.
- “Medea” (2017) — San Sebastián festival contender exploring classical mythology through modern feminine perspective
- “Delirio” (2024) — Gothic horror investigating psychological trauma and bodily metamorphosis in female narratives
- “Sirens” (development) — Symbolic fantasy reinterpreting siren mythology within Central American cultural and geographical context
Festival Traction and Professional Endorsement
The announcement of Vitrine Filmes España’s involvement comes at a critical juncture for “Sirens,” with the project set to be showcased at the Panama Festival’s Su Mirada programme later this week. This esteemed venue, focused on showcasing work from female directors across Central America and the Caribbean, offers an ideal venue for Latishev’s most recent project. The timing emphasises the film’s significance within modern Latin American film, positioning it alongside other rising talents reshaping regional filmmaking. Su Mirada’s focus on films in development and post-production provides industry professionals and distributors an first look of “Sirens,” facilitating crucial conversations around funding, distribution, and global collaborations.
Vitrine Filmes España’s purchase marks the production’s inaugural co-production with Costa Rica, bolstering connections between the Spanish and Central American film industries. The San Sebastián-based distributor’s involvement ensures European entry to one of the world’s most dynamic arthouse markets, considerably expanding “Sirens'” market potential and financial outlook. Julia Juncadella’s comments underscoring the film’s fusion of genre elements with contemporary perspective and territorial specificity reflects industry recognition that Latishev’s work transcends regional boundaries whilst preserving authentic cultural grounding. This partnership confirms the director’s artistic vision whilst delivering essential infrastructure for bringing her ambitious fantasy project to international audiences.