Julia and Mateo are a young naturist couple, who live in a modern house made of containers in a completely rural environment. Their daily life is very connected to the field and the sea. In contrast, they have found their way of life by sharing their most intimate moments on OnlyFans, a paid social network.

Director and DOP Nèstor Ruiz Medina (with a long career in short films including a Goya nomination) developed the story and co-wrote the script together with the actors, who committed to the project entirely. They delivered an intimate yet universal story, told in 21 one-take sequences and shot on 16 mm. The film is set in the south of Spain (in the remote villages of Cadiz) and various local people were involved as actors, which adds a greater sense of naturalism to the whole narration.

Despite the seemingly idyllic life the movie presents, various contemporary topics are tackled about the life of a young couple, which surely make us discuss issues beyond the main subject (what is life like inside a couple?). 21 captions, 21 moments of love, longing, freedom and decisions. Besides the performance of two charismatic characters who lead us through this sweet and sour story, and the coherent technical and conceptual filming decisions, “21 Paradise” is an honest love story of two human beings who seem to share their fate but are actually as lost as everyone else.

Javier Garcia Puerto