Photos courtesy of Mares da Fin do Mundo
Author: Manuel Iglesias
The Mares da Fin do Mundo International Documentary Film Festival is a locally rooted project based in Galicia (Spain) with a clear international outlook. The event is committed to the marine environment and fishing communities, raising awareness of the need to protect one of our most valuable natural resources: the sea. Its ninth edition took place from 14 to 18 October in the coastal town of Rianxo, whose cultural heritage is deeply intertwined with the sea. This year, the festival focused on preserving small-scale coastal and artisanal fishing fleets as a cornerstone of food sovereignty, maritime and fishing heritage, and the identity of coastal communities.
The programme brought together 40 films from across the world, spanning different languages, perspectives and approaches to documentary cinema. Alongside the international Official Competition, the festival explored the boundaries of reality-based cinema through its Proa strand and revisited the past through archival and historical works in Popa. A dedicated Galician Section highlighted local filmmaking voices, while the Children and Youth Section introduced younger audiences to cinema as a space for curiosity, discovery and critical thinking.
A programme of complementary activities further explored the festival’s central themes. The Amicos Association presented CABALGA II, an initiative dedicated to restoring vulnerable marine ecosystems. In collaboration with the Rianxo shellfish gatherers’ association, the festival also organised an educational walk exploring traditional shorebased shellfish harvesting. The Sustainable Fishing Round Table, entitled Restoring the Sea: A Blue Commitment, brought speakers together to discuss the real impact of initiatives under the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), while marine biologist Javier García Galdo presented his book Un mar de curiosidades (A Sea
of Curiosities).
On Saturday, the activity Building a New Sancosmeiro showcased an initiative by Agalcari and Astilleros Catoira to revive a traditional boat from the municipality of Outes, on the Muros-Noia estuary. Built by Ramón Collazo using ancestral boatbuilding techniques, the project brings new life to the region’s traditional shipwrighting heritage.
Finally, in collaboration with Bluscus Galicia Marinera and the Setefoghas Cultural Association, the festival organised different sailing activities, allowing participants to explore the waters of the Arousa estuary aboard traditional vessels.
