Black Is Beltza Ii: Ainhoa (2022) Apr 2026

For fans of Persepolis or Waltz with Bashir , this film is an essential watch—a defiant, stylish, and deeply moving piece of European cinema.

(2022) isn't just a sequel; it’s a high-octane, politically charged journey through the mid-1980s, seen through the eyes of a young woman searching for her roots and her voice. Directed by the visionary Basque artist and musician Fermin Muguruza , this adult animated film serves as a sprawling mural of a world on the brink of seismic change. The Premise: A Legacy Reawakened Black Is Beltza II: Ainhoa (2022)

A raw look at the heroin epidemic and the "dirty war" (GAL) in Spain, rarely depicted with such blunt honesty in animation. For fans of Persepolis or Waltz with Bashir

The film weaves together the liberation movements of the era, suggesting that while the locations change, the spirit of resistance remains the same. Why It Matters The Premise: A Legacy Reawakened A raw look

What sets Ainhoa apart is its incredible sense of place and time. The animation style—gritty, expressive, and deeply noir-influenced—captures the tension of the 1980s perfectly.

The story picks up years after the original Black Is Beltza . It follows , the daughter of the first film’s protagonist, Manex Unanue. Born in Cuba and raised in a whirlwind of revolutionary ideals, Ainhoa embarks on a journey that takes her from the bustling streets of Havana to the conflict-ridden Basque Country, the heroin-ravaged neighborhoods of Madrid, and eventually into the heart of the Lebanese Civil War. A Masterclass in Atmosphere and Sound

Ainhoa's struggle to reconcile her internationalist upbringing with her Basque roots.