Arantxa Echevarría’s first solo fiction feature “Carmen & Lola” is the story of a romantic relationship between two gypsy teenage girls who are tread upon by society for both their heritage and sexual orientation. Echevarría previously co-directed on the 2017 thriller “7 from Etheria,” and has made a number of shorts such as “De noche y de pronto,” nominated for a Spanish Academy Goya in 2012.

Produced by Echevarría and Pilar Sánchez Díaz at Tvtec Servicios Audiovisuales, “Carmen & Lola” includes a cast of all but one non-professional gypsy actors. Latido Films, the prominent upscale Spanish sales agency with an eye for new talent, including new Spanish-language women auteurs, handles international sales.

Can you discuss real-world the difficulties that people like the characters in your film face in Spain today?

Being a lesbian and a gypsy means being different and, at the same time, a minority. It’s a lethal pairing.