Corina is a Relieving Joy @SXSW 2025

One of the most surprising joys of a film to watch was Corina during SXSW. Directed by Urzula Barba Hopfner, the film centers on a young style corrector Corina played by Naian González Norvind. She is a timid and coy young female who barely leaves the house unless she is going to work at a publishing house. The audience learns quickly that she has some form of anxiety or OCD when she counts the number of steps she has to take to get to work. We figure out that gets this fear of leaving the house from her mother who lost her lover in a terrible accident.

There happens to be more anxiety at her place of work when we learn that the publishing house is having trouble with one of their top authors in their most successful book sagas. Being the style corrector, there is not much Corina could do at work except do her job, keep her mouth shut and listen to gossip. This is what she does and nobody notices that she’s around especially when she works on a different floor all by herself.  

Even when it is the hottest topic to discuss such as their top author changing the ending of their most profitable book saga, nobody even knows that Corina exists. Her boss who is handsomely played by Laura de Ita silently fuels the film and gets the ball rolling. But by listening to this lone conversation, Corina makes a huge mistake that she has to find ways to correct it. This makes an interesting ride for Corina as well as the audience in her journey of mishaps.

What FERNTV loves most about Corina is that you get to love every character in the film. From Corina’s anxiety-ridden mom played by Carolina Politi to the barista who makes her everyday coffee Carlos, played by Cristo Fernández, there is so much depth in her characters similar to a Wes Anderson film. Being compared to a Mexican Amelié, Corina can also be compared to a Little Red Riding Hood because you just don’t know who is going to be the one who bites her. Naian González Norvind plays the role so well you can tell what she is thinking when she is silent. Her face is full of emotions when she is emotionless. But it’s a great tussle because she seems like she is both trying to fight her way to be free or fighting her way to not be free.

Corina is one of the sleeper hits during SXSW which is why the film won the Global award from MUBI. We can all resonate with a character like Corina with our everyday struggles and anxieties that never cease in our minds. We all root for Corina to stand up and take hold of the opportunities that are presented to her. Although, just like with everything there are always going to be consequences and sometimes we all just want to live a comfortable and safe life. What FERNTV believes that Urzula Barba Hopfner is trying to relay to the audience is not everything is an easy transition especially when the world wants us to level up. Not only in Corina we see this but all the characters in this film which is such a joy to watch their journeys. Corina is sure not to be missed.