Barcelona's Saints: A Heist of the Heart in Mikel Gurrea's 'Saints'

The Story at My Doorstep

For Mikel Gurrea, the search for narrative didn't require a journey beyond his own neighborhood. Living in Barcelona's district of Sants, he found himself drawn to a curious detail: a locked church that had caught his attention every time he passed by. “I live in Barcelona's district of Sants and, having done my previous film in the woods, this time I wanted to find fiction at my doorstep,” Gurrea told Variety.

The name itself, Sants, translated to Saints in Catalan, offered a symbolic starting point for his new story. But it was the closed church that would ultimately spark the film's central concept. The idea of theft, of someone breaking into a sacred space, became the hook that drew Gurrea into his latest project.

“Every time I passed by, I found it closed. So I thought, a closed church is almost like a vault. Someone could steal it and I started reading about religious art robberies.”

This wasn't just a story about crime—it was one of mystery, of emotion, and of deep human connection.

The Heist That Wasn't

What began as a plot about stolen religious objects evolved into something much more complex. The film's protagonist, Lali (played by Victoria Luengo), doesn't start out as an ordinary thief. Her first appearance is in a hospital chapel at night, quietly weeping over a saint's statue—then, just as quickly, she picks it up and walks away. It's a scene that speaks volumes about the layers of grief, performance, and instinct that drive her.

“The very first thing I wrote was Lali crying in a hospital chapel looking at the statue of a saint, at night. Once the other person in the chapel left, Lali dried her tears instantly, like an actress who was playing a role to get her way, she got up and stole the statue,” Gurrea recalls.

This moment becomes the pivot point for Lali's character arc—a woman torn between her desire for escape and her unexpected obligations. She's not simply stealing; she's acting out a performance of selfhood in a world that doesn't quite see her as whole.

A Mother's Return

Lali's return to Barcelona is not by choice—it's a duty imposed by the estranged relationship with her mother, Gloria. Played by Ariadna Gil (“Pan's Labyrinth”), Gloria embodies a woman who has chosen to disappear from life, only to be yanked back into it when her daughter needs her most.

The tension between Gloria and Lali is a human one: the struggle between what we want to do and what we must do. “The clash between duty (to have to care) and want (she wants to escape, be careless, be free). I found that tension very human and powerful,” Gurrea notes.

As Lali is pulled into Gloria's world, she also begins to find her own identity within it. The film beautifully explores the concept of family not just as a source of conflict but as a potential wellspring of care and understanding.

Reuniting with Victoria Luengo

Gurrea's collaboration with Victoria Luengo marks a deepening of their creative bond, following up on their work in the film “Suro.” For this new project, Luengo was not just cast; she was an integral part of shaping Lali's character.

“Since 'Suro,' Victoria has become a dear friend. She happens to be one of the best actress that I have ever seen. So, I always want to work with her,” Gurrea shares. “When it was time, I offered her the part.”

The process involved extensive workshops and exploration—trips to the desert where Lali's story begins, discussions about her past, and collaborative script development that enriched the character's complexity.

“There was a draft of the script, but it was early stages. From that moment onwards, Victoria and I opened a process of workshopping ideas, trips to the desert where we first encounter Lali in the film, we gave Lali a past and we bounced many ideas. All of that influenced the later drafts Francisco Kosterlitz and I wrote for the script.”

Luengo's performance brings depth to a character who is at once defiant and vulnerable—a woman trying to reconcile her restlessness with her responsibility.

The World of Thieves

Enter Rosario, Lali's unexpected mentor. Rosario leads a group that specializes in stealing religious art. But unlike the typical portrayal of thieves as cold-hearted predators, their approach is filled with reverence and care. “That brings the thieving, the thrill and the heist, but also a knowledge of delicacy, appreciation and care,” Gurrea explains.

This isn't just about stealing—it's about honoring. The film challenges the idea that religious art must be protected by its sacredness alone; it can be revered even when taken from its original setting. And in doing so, Rosario's group becomes a symbol of alternative ways to engage with spirituality and heritage.

The narrative also delves into how these different versions of family—both biological and chosen—interact and influence each other. “Little by little, Rosario becomes like an alternative mother,” Gurrea says. “And when her people get inside Gloria's house, the layers converge.”

Religion as Metaphor

Researching the world of religious-art theft, Gurrea stumbled upon Erik the Belgian—a notorious thief who targeted churches across Spain in the 20th century. His methods were described as “procedural, coordinated, silent”—and eerily ritualistic.

“The way he described the robberies – procedural, coordinated, silent – felt almost ritualistic to me. He also talked about the buyers' feelings towards the stolen objects when delivered to them and it seemed like worship,” Gurrea shares.

This duality—of desecration and reverence—is central to the film's emotional arc. Lali's encounter with sacred objects does not lead to rejection of her mother's Catholic world; instead, it opens a space for a new kind of understanding.

“Here, between those two faces, between those two poles, Lali opens herself to some wonderment. Beyond duty and guilt, both very Catholic things, Lali discovers that she wants to be next to her mom in the last stages of their relationship.”

Urban Drama Meets Mystery

After the rural setting of “Suro,” “Saints” moves into the city. This shift wasn't just aesthetic—it was a deliberate choice by Gurrea to ground the story in the real world of Barcelona, specifically the district where he lives.

“The only really premeditated thing was to find fiction in the district where I live, so this was going to be an urban film,” he notes. “Its tone, however, tracks its elusive protagonist.”

And that tone is playful, even in moments of tension. Lali's character, as Gurrea describes it, is fundamentally about playfulness and a sense of self-preservation. “I wanted it to be playful, because it is Lali's nature.”

Beneath the surface of family drama, theft, and shifting allegiances, the film explores the deeper mysteries of care and identity. “As per the rest, I wanted to make a film full of mystery. Both cinematic mystery but also playing with the idea of religious mystery,” Gurrea says.

Final Thoughts

“Saints” is not merely a thriller or a family drama—it's an intimate meditation on what it means to care, to connect, and to find yourself in the space between obligation and freedom. Through Lali's journey, Gurrea invites viewers to see the sacred not only in churches but in the quiet acts of love that happen in the margins of life.

As he reflects, “I think they are related and they feed each other. The type of care that I wanted to explore in the film, we can only do it if we take the time to appreciate, if we take into account, if we feel a connection. Be it objects or people.”

It's a powerful message wrapped in a compelling heist story—one that challenges our assumptions and touches our hearts.