The Holy Girl
Encyclopedia
The Holy Girl (2004
) is an Argentine
, Spanish
, and Italian
drama film
, directed by Lucrecia Martel
. The picture was executive produced by Pedro Almodóvar
, Agustín Almodóvar, and Esther García. It was produced by Lita Stantic
.
The motion picture features Mercedes Morán
, María Alche, Carlos Belloso, Alejandro Urdapilleta, Julieta Zylberberg, among others.
Two young teenage girls, Amalia (María Alché) and her best friend Josefina (Julieta Zylberberg), begin to explore their new sexuality and, at the same time, have Catholic religious passion.
Amalia lives with her attractive divorced mother (Mercedes Morán
), who owns the hotel, and her uncle Freddy (Alejandro Urdapilleta).
During this time, in Amalia's mind, spiritual and sexual impulses are seeming to converge.
One day, in the midst of a large crowd watching the performance of a musician playing the theremin
, Dr. Jano (Carlos Belloso), a participant in the conference and hotel guest, rubs up sexually against Amalia. She is upset but takes his inappropriate action as a sign that her Catholic faith has given her a mission: to save Dr. Jano from such inappropriate behavior.
Afterward, the object of Amelia's desire becomes the married middle-aged doctor and she begins to spy on him.
Amalia's story is partly about an adolescent girl's discovery of her sexual vulnerability and the sexual power she possesses.
The picture while not exactly autobiographical was based on Martel's memories. Martel said, "The film isn't strictly autobiographical, but what I put in it is my personal experience in life, my memories. When I was in my teens, I was a very religious person. I thought I had a special relationship with God, or anything that was up there. Now, I don't believe in miracles, but I do believe in the emotion you feel in front of a miracle - the emotion of something unexpected revealed to you."
As part of the way she uses the camera the film has few establishing shots or transition shots because she makes the case it physically separates a space from its moment in the film.
Filming location
The film was shot entirely in Salta
, in the Salta Province
, Argentina. The director/screenwriter was born in Salta.
on May 16.
The film was also shown at various film festivals, including: the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival, the Helsinki International Film Festival, the London Film Festival
, the Hong Kong International Film Festival
, and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.
In the United States it was presented at the New York Film Festival
on October 10, 2004, and the Seattle International Film Festival
on May 20, 2005. Fine Line Features
gave it a limited US theatrical release on April 29, 2005.
, called the film an "elusive, feverish and altogether amazing second feature..." He also liked Martel's artistic directorial approach to films, and wrote, "Her visual style is similarly oblique, as she frames her characters through half-opened doors, at odd angles and in asymmetrical close-ups. To a degree that is sometimes disorienting, Ms. Martel explores the mysteries of the senses. They are our instruments for knowing ourselves, each other and the world, but they also mislead us, bringing pain, pleasure and confusion in equal measure."
Kevin Thomas, critic for the Los Angeles Times
, wrote, "[the film] reveals the style, insight and confidence that are the marks of a major director." He also said of director Martel, "[She's] a subtle artist and a sharp observer, Martel manages a large cast with an ease that matches her skill at storytelling, within which psychological insight and social comment flow easily and implicitly."
Film critic Ruth Stein also credits director Martel for capturing the mood of the film, and wrote, "Martel is especially good at capturing a claustrophobic environment, and she wisely leaves ambiguous the question of the doctor's complicity in Amalia's frenzied state. He fails to recognize her when she starts stalking him -- an indication of the randomness of the act done to the accompaniment of a theremin."
The film currently holds a 77% approval rating at RottenTomatoes , with 43 of 56 reviews being favorable.
Nominations
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) is an Argentine
Cinema of Argentina
The cinema of Argentina has a tradition dating back to the late nineteenth century, and continues to play a role in the culture of Argentina....
, Spanish
Cinema of Spain
The art of motion-picture making within the nation of Spain or by Spanish filmmakers abroad is collectively known as Spanish Cinema.In recent years, Spanish cinema has achieved high marks of recognition as a result of its creative and technical excellence...
, and Italian
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
, directed by Lucrecia Martel
Lucrecia Martel
Lucrecia Martel is a film director, screenplay writer, and producer.According to film critic Joel Poblete, who writes for Mabuse, a cinema magazine, Lucrecia Martel is one of the members of the so-called "New Argentina Cinema" which began c...
. The picture was executive produced by Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
, Agustín Almodóvar, and Esther García. It was produced by Lita Stantic
Lita Stantic
Élida Stantic , and more commonly known and credited as Lita Stantic, is an Argentine cinema producer, screenplay writer, and director....
.
The motion picture features Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán is a film and television actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* La Ciénaga aka The Swamp* Próxima salida * Whisky Romeo Zulu...
, María Alche, Carlos Belloso, Alejandro Urdapilleta, Julieta Zylberberg, among others.
Plot
The film takes place in the small town of La Ciénaga, at the Hotel Termas, a dilapidated Argentine hotel, during a medical conference.Two young teenage girls, Amalia (María Alché) and her best friend Josefina (Julieta Zylberberg), begin to explore their new sexuality and, at the same time, have Catholic religious passion.
Amalia lives with her attractive divorced mother (Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán is a film and television actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* La Ciénaga aka The Swamp* Próxima salida * Whisky Romeo Zulu...
), who owns the hotel, and her uncle Freddy (Alejandro Urdapilleta).
During this time, in Amalia's mind, spiritual and sexual impulses are seeming to converge.
One day, in the midst of a large crowd watching the performance of a musician playing the theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, Dr. Jano (Carlos Belloso), a participant in the conference and hotel guest, rubs up sexually against Amalia. She is upset but takes his inappropriate action as a sign that her Catholic faith has given her a mission: to save Dr. Jano from such inappropriate behavior.
Afterward, the object of Amelia's desire becomes the married middle-aged doctor and she begins to spy on him.
Amalia's story is partly about an adolescent girl's discovery of her sexual vulnerability and the sexual power she possesses.
Background
The screenplay of the film was written by director Lucrecia Martel.The picture while not exactly autobiographical was based on Martel's memories. Martel said, "The film isn't strictly autobiographical, but what I put in it is my personal experience in life, my memories. When I was in my teens, I was a very religious person. I thought I had a special relationship with God, or anything that was up there. Now, I don't believe in miracles, but I do believe in the emotion you feel in front of a miracle - the emotion of something unexpected revealed to you."
As part of the way she uses the camera the film has few establishing shots or transition shots because she makes the case it physically separates a space from its moment in the film.
Filming location
The film was shot entirely in Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, in the Salta Province
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
, Argentina. The director/screenwriter was born in Salta.
Cast
- Mercedes MoránMercedes MoránMercedes Morán is a film and television actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* La Ciénaga aka The Swamp* Próxima salida * Whisky Romeo Zulu...
as Helena - María Alche as Amalia
- Carlos Belloso as Dr. Jano
- Alejandro Urdapilleta as Freddy
- Julieta Zylberberg as Josefina
- Mía MaestroMía MaestroMía Maestro is an Argentine actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Nadia Santos in the television drama Alias, and as Christina Kahlo in Frida.-Life and acting career:...
as Inés - Marta Lubos as Mirta
- Arturo GoetzArturo GoetzArturo Goetz , is an Argentine film actor.He works in the cinema of Argentina.He studied for a D.Phil. in Economics at Jesus College, Oxford from 1971 to 1974, but left without completing his studies when his scholarship ran out. Whilst at Jesus College, he played football for the college team and...
as Dr. Vesalio - Alejo Mango as Dr. Cuesta
- Mónica Villa as Madre de Josefina
- Leandro Stivelman as Julian
- Manuel Schaller as Thermin player
Distribution
The film first opened in Argentina on May 6, 2004. It was selected for competition and featured internationally at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
on May 16.
The film was also shown at various film festivals, including: the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival, the Helsinki International Film Festival, the London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
, the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
, and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.
In the United States it was presented at the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
on October 10, 2004, and the Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
on May 20, 2005. Fine Line Features
Fine Line Features
Fine Line Features was the speciality films division of New Line Cinema. It produced, purchased, distributed and marketed films of a more "indie" flavor than its parent company...
gave it a limited US theatrical release on April 29, 2005.
Critical reception
A.O. Scott, film critic for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, called the film an "elusive, feverish and altogether amazing second feature..." He also liked Martel's artistic directorial approach to films, and wrote, "Her visual style is similarly oblique, as she frames her characters through half-opened doors, at odd angles and in asymmetrical close-ups. To a degree that is sometimes disorienting, Ms. Martel explores the mysteries of the senses. They are our instruments for knowing ourselves, each other and the world, but they also mislead us, bringing pain, pleasure and confusion in equal measure."
Kevin Thomas, critic for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, wrote, "[the film] reveals the style, insight and confidence that are the marks of a major director." He also said of director Martel, "[She's] a subtle artist and a sharp observer, Martel manages a large cast with an ease that matches her skill at storytelling, within which psychological insight and social comment flow easily and implicitly."
Film critic Ruth Stein also credits director Martel for capturing the mood of the film, and wrote, "Martel is especially good at capturing a claustrophobic environment, and she wisely leaves ambiguous the question of the doctor's complicity in Amalia's frenzied state. He fails to recognize her when she starts stalking him -- an indication of the randomness of the act done to the accompaniment of a theremin."
The film currently holds a 77% approval rating at RottenTomatoes , with 43 of 56 reviews being favorable.
Awards
Wins- Clarin Entertainment Awards: Clarin Award; Best Director, Lucrecia Martel; Best New FIlm Actress, Julieta Zylberberg; 2004.
- São Paulo International Film FestivalSão Paulo International Film FestivalThe São Paulo International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in São Paulo, Brazil since 1976. In 2004 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami was a member of the jury.-International Jury Award:*2001: The New Country ...
: Critics Award, Honorable Mention, Lucrecia Martel; 2004.
Nominations
- Cannes Film Festival2004 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
: Golden Palm, Lucrecia Martel; 2004. - Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Cinematography, Félix Monti; Best Costume Design, Julio Suárez; Best New Actress, María Alche; Best Supporting Actress, Julieta Zylberberg; 2005.
External links
- La niña santa at cinenacional.comCinenacional.comCinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema.The site provides a vast array of information, including: films, television programs, directors, actors, cinematographers, film editors, production designers, and other production professions in Argentina...