Iván & Hadoum

Set amid the greenhouses, desert landscapes and coastlines of Spain, Iván & Hadoum is a warm and timely love story about people searching for their place in the world and for paths towards one another. Iván, a trans man, works in an industrial greenhouse, when Spanish-Moroccan Hadoum starts work at the same greenhouse. A curious, passionate and joyful closeness begins to grow between them, but the promotion to foreman begins to distance Iván from Hadoum and the other workers, among whom a spirit of rebellion and a desire to improve working conditions are simmering. 

Blending romance with social drama, the film explores gender identity and power relations in working life without lapsing into gloom. Economic uncertainty and social hierarchies shape people’s possibilities, but individuals and communities alike have the capacity to resist narrow boundaries. Director Ian de la Rosa observes his characters with warmth, leaving hope as the prevailing feeling; everyone has the chance to love and be loved.

Piia Latvala