The documentary film «Heaven Is Forever,» about the life and martyrdom of María Teresa Ferragut and her four religious daughters, premieres this Friday, November 13, in theaters across Spain, according to the Archdiocese of Valencia. The film is produced by Siloé Films and distributed by European Dreams Factory, and it commemorates the beatas of Algemesí who were killed in the autumn of 1936, during the religious persecution of the Civil War.
The work combines dramatization with the testimony of those who preserve that memory today. In addition to professional actors, parishioners from the parish of San Pío X in Algemesí, where the martyrs’ remains rest, participate, and Archbishop of Valencia, Monsignor Enrique Benavent, the parish priest, Óscar Benavent, and relatives of the beatas also appear. The story unfolds in the life of a contemporary Christian family, who gradually discover the witness of those women.
A mother who asked to be executed last
According to the Archdiocese, María Teresa Ferragut was arrested at the age of 83 along with her daughters, who were cloistered nuns. On October 25, 1936, at the moment of execution, she asked to be killed last so she could encourage her daughters until the very end. That desire to accompany them is the central theme of the story now reaching the screens.
The four daughters, with the surname Masiá Ferragut, were Sister María Jesús, Sister María Verónica, and Sister María Felicidad, Capuchin nuns from Agullent, and Sister Josefa de la Purificación, a Discalced Augustinian from Benigánim. The five women were beatified on March 11, 2001, by John Paul II, along with other martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain.
Letters, music, and an anniversary
The starting point of the film is the book «Unknown Letters from a Martyr Family. María Teresa and Her Daughters,» published in 2025 by Father Salvador David, which collects the correspondence between the mother and the religious sisters. Parish priest Óscar Benavent explains, according to the Archdiocese, that they wanted to spread this story to encourage Christians to live a faithful commitment «to the very last consequences.»
The premiere coincides with the 90th anniversary of the martyrdom, which the parish of San Pío X celebrated last October 25 with the premiere of the symphonic oratorio «Martyrs» and the processional march «Heaven Is Forever,» both by Valencian composer Hugo Chinesta. The 79-minute film features Olatz Beobide in the role of María Teresa Ferragut, and is directed by Ricardo del Pozo.