# Patria (2020)

> A widow returns to her Basque village after the ETA ceasefire and must face the mother of the man who had her husband killed.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/73007

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, thriller
- Created by: Aitor Gabilondo
- Network: HBO España
- Cast: Elena Irureta, Ane Gabarain, Iñigo Aranbarri, Susana Abaitua, José Ramón Soroiz, Mikel Laskurain, Jon Olivares, Loreto Mauleón
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6625730/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: melancholic, restrained, tense, sombre

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim the series for its humane, even-handed portrayal of victims and families on both sides of the Basque conflict, rated 8.2/10 by audiences.

## Synopsis

Patria (2020) is a Spanish prestige drama miniseries created by Aitor Gabilondo for HBO España. Across eight hour-long episodes, the story follows Bittori (Elena Irureta), a widow whose husband was killed by ETA, as she returns to her home village after the 2011 ceasefire between the separatist group and the Spanish government. Her former intimate friend Miren (Ane Gabarain), the mother of a jailed terrorist, lives in the same community, and the two women are pulled back into a tangle of old loyalties and unspoken accusations. Supporting characters including Xabier (Iñigo Aranbarri), Nerea (Susana Abaitua) and Txato (José Ramón Soroiz) widen the frame to neighbors, relatives and former comrades who all share the same small streets. The engine of the series is the daily friction of people who must keep living beside those they blame, with each episode built from quiet confrontations, shop-counter encounters and family dinners that hold decades of resentment. Adapted from a novel, the single-season limited series is a Nordic-style slow burn in its patience, measured in its dialogue and rooted in the Basque landscape. Its tone is melancholic, restrained and emotionally devastating, and it appeals to fans of political dramas that weigh grief against the possibility of forgiveness, in the vein of Bloody Sunday and The Night Manager.

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