Belén is a 2025 Argentine historical legal drama film directed and starred by Dolores Fonzi from a screenplay she co-wrote with Laura Paredes, Agustina San Martín and Nicolás Britos. It is based on the non-fiction book Somos Belén by Ana Correa, which follows a lawyer's quest for justice when her client is falsely imprisoned for providing an illegal abortion.
The film was selected as the Argentine entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist, but it was not nominated.
Synopsis Attorney Soledad Deza takes on the case of Julieta, a young woman from Tucumán unjustly sentenced to prison after being accused of providing an illegal abortion. Both women face a corrupt legal system and a society that wants to see them fail. As her case gains notoriety, a women's movement emerges that resonates throughout Argentina.
Cast Dolores Fonzi as Soledad Deza as Julieta César Troncoso Julieta Cardinali Luis Machín
Ruth Pláate Lili Juarez
Production On June 7, 2024, Amazon Prime Video announced that together with K&S Films they began working on the production of a film adaptation of the non-fiction book Somos Belén by Ana Correa.
The script took three months to write, three months to complete, seven weeks of filming, and three more months of editing. It was shot in Tucumán, Argentina.
Release Distributed by Digicine, Belén premiered on September 18, 2025, in Argentine theaters. For its international premiere, the film will be screened on September 23, 2025 at the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival, competing for the Golden Shell. Its festival run also included a selection for the Santa Fe International Film Festival 2025 and a special screening at the 20th Rome Film Festival in October 2025. The film is scheduled to premiere worldwide on Amazon Prime Video months after its Argentine theatrical debut.
The film will compete in the Awards Buzz – Best International Feature Film section of the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival on 3 January 2026.
Reception Critical reception On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Belén is a gripping, fast-paced legal drama that elevates a familiar courtroom narrative into an urgent, deeply human call for justice through its richly human performances and searing emotional honesty". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Accolades In September 2025, the Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences announced that Belén was on their shortlist for their submission to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film alongside Homo Argentum, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and The Woman in the Line. Belén ultimately was the official submission for the category. {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Date of ceremony ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| |- ! rowspan = "2" scope="row"|San Sebastián International Film Festival | rowspan = "2" | 27 September 2025 | Golden Shell for Best Film | Belén | | align="center"| |- | Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance || Camila Pláate || || |- ! scope = "row" | Forqué Awards | 13 December 2025 | Best Latin American Film || rowspan="5" | Belén || || |- ! scope="row" | Astra Awards | |January 9, 2026 | Best International Feature | | align="center" | |- ! scope="rowgroup" | Critics' Choice Movie Awards |January 4, 2026 |Best Foreign Language Film | | style="text-align:center;" | |- ! Scope = "rowgroup" | Goya Awards | February 28, 2026 || Best Ibero-American Film || || style = "text-align:center;" | |- ! rowspan = "16" scope="row" | Sur Awards | rowspan = "16" | June 2, 2026 || Best Film || || rowspan = "16" | |- | Best Director || Dolores Fonzi || |- | Best Adapted Screenplay || Dolores Fonzi, Laura Paredes || |- | Best Actress || Dolores Fonzi || |- | rowspan = "3" | Best Supporting Actress || Camila Pláate || |- | Julieta Cardinali || |- | Laura Paredes || |- | Best Supporting Actor || Luis Machín || |- | Best New Actress || Camila Pláate || |- | Best Cinematography || Javier Juliá || |- | Best Editing || Andrés Pepe Estrada || |- | Best Costume Design || Lucía Gasconi, Greta Ure || |- | Best Art Direction || Micaela Saiegh || |- | Best Original Score || Marilina Bertoldi || |- | Best Makeup and Characterization || Dino Balanzino, Ángela Garacija || |- | Best Sound || Leandro De Loredo || |- ! scope = "row" | Grande Otelo Awards | August 4, 2026 | Best Ibero-American Film || rowspan = "3" | Belén || || |- ! scope="row" | Ariel Awards | October 3, 2026 || Best Ibero-American Film || || |- ! scope="row"| Macondo Awards | October 25, 2026 | Best Ibero-American Film – FIACINE | | align = "center" |
See also List of Argentine films of 2025 List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film List of Argentine submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
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