The story of Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them
Josefina isn't your typical protagonist. She's a woman in the twilight of her life who once threw Molotov cocktails—literally and figuratively—at the world, and now she's trying to disappear into the rhythms of domestic routine in a quiet coastal town. Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them, the 2019 drama directed by a woman filmmaker, follows this self-exiled figure as she attempts to find peace through solitude and housework, while her body betrays her with the slow indignities of aging. The film doesn't pretend her past has vanished. Instead, it lingers in the spaces between her morning routines and her medical appointments—a crime of passion that's both immediate and impossibly distant, lovers who shaped her, and the weight of choices that can't be unmade. She's scheduled for cataract surgery, and the film treats this mundane procedure with the gravity it deserves: a woman losing her sight, literally and metaphorically, as she tries to see herself clearly for perhaps the first time.
Behind the making of Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them
The film emerged from a collaborative production spanning multiple creative entities: Mimbre Producciones, Transparaíso, Bubbles Project, and the Jeonju International Film Festival all had hands in bringing this story to screen. With a runtime of 86 minutes and a not-rated designation, Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them operates outside the conventional studio system—it's an independent work that prioritizes artistic vision over commercial polish. The film garnered four award nominations, a modest but meaningful recognition in festival circuits where it premiered. Its IMDb rating of 5.3 out of 10 (based on 289 votes) reflects the kind of polarizing reception that often accompanies uncompromising character studies; some viewers gravitate toward its refusal to sentimentalize aging or redemption, while others find its pacing meditative to the point of opacity. The woman director behind the project shaped every frame with an eye toward texture and time—the kind of filmmaking that doesn't rush, that trusts silence as much as dialogue. For those tracking where independent cinema is heading, Movie OTT serves as a guide to where these festival darlings eventually land on streaming platforms, making it easier to discover work that might otherwise slip past mainstream attention.
What makes Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them stand out
Here's what's striking: the film refuses to make Josefina sympathetic in the way audiences expect. She's not a misunderstood saint. She's a woman who committed a crime of passion and now lives with the consequences—not through dramatic flashbacks or tearful confessions, but through the texture of her daily life, the way her hands shake, the way she moves through her house like she's both inhabiting it and haunting it. The performances anchor everything; there's a gravity to watching someone confront their own mortality while simultaneously trying to outrun their own history. What I keep coming back to is how the film treats aging not as a problem to solve but as a fact to witness—the body's slow rebellion, the mind's unreliable archive, the way memory becomes both a refuge and a prison. The director's choice to weave in the mundane (housework, medical appointments, the logistics of vision loss) alongside the dramatic (the shadow of violence, the ghost of passion) creates a kind of tonal complexity that doesn't feel easy or neat. Reviewers have noted the film's deliberate pacing and its willingness to sit with discomfort rather than resolve it. The cataract surgery becomes a metaphor without ever announcing itself as one—a woman preparing to see the world differently, or perhaps to stop seeing it altogether. It's the kind of film that divides audiences, but that division itself is worth examining.
Where to stream Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them online
Finding independent films like Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them can be tricky, but the film has secured placement on major OTT services—the kind of platforms that specialize in curating international and festival cinema alongside mainstream content. The "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page will show you the current availability across services in your region, since streaming rights shift frequently and vary by geography. Movie OTT tracks these changes in real time, so you can check there before you settle in for what's a deliberately paced, emotionally demanding watch. It's the sort of film that benefits from an unhurried evening—you'll want to be present for its silences and its small, devastating moments.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them?
The film was directed by a woman filmmaker whose vision prioritizes character over plot, aging over redemption, and silence over easy answers. The production involved multiple creative partners including Mimbre Producciones and Transparaíso.
Q: Is Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them based on a true story?
The film is a fictional work, though it draws on universal themes of aging, exile, and the long shadow of past choices. The specificity of Josefina's story—her crime of passion, her coastal retreat—feels lived-in and textured rather than invented.
Q: What does the title mean?
The title is a statement of defiance and consequence. Josefina is a woman who once threw Molotov cocktails, who burned things, who refused to be dampened. The title captures her paradox: she's trying to find peace through routine, but her spirit—that radical, destructive impulse—can't be fully extinguished.
Q: How long is Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them?
The film runs 86 minutes, a lean runtime that never feels rushed. The director uses those minutes to build atmosphere and character rather than plot momentum.
Q: What's the IMDb rating for this film?
Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them holds a 5.3 out of 10 on IMDb based on 289 votes. This reflects its status as a challenging, divisive work that won't appeal to everyone—but that's precisely the point.
Final thoughts on Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them
This isn't a film for everyone. It's slow, it's ambiguous, it refuses to wrap up its themes in tidy bows. But if you're drawn to character-driven cinema that trusts its audience to sit with discomfort and contradiction—if you're interested in how filmmakers approach aging, solitude, and the impossibility of escape—then Nona. If They Soak Me, I'll Burn Them deserves your attention. It's a film about a woman trying to disappear into routine, and in that disappearing act, she becomes unforgettable. Don't expect catharsis. Expect something stranger and more honest.