Sor Teresa de los Andes

A young girl in Chile at the turn of the century decides to become a Carmelite sister. Hardly scandalous but also hardly typical. Born the 4th of 6 children, Juana Fernandez, known affectionately as Juanita, realizes early that the great love of her life is Jesus Christ. However, this young woman is no plaster saint - she loves clothes, parties and sports and she realizes she has a problem with pride and vanity. Nevertheless, she is willing to give up the comfort of her home and the warmth and companionship of her family for the cold, harsh life of the Carmelite sisters in the Andes. Once there, she takes the name Teresa, after her two heroines, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux. The edition I've seen is in Spanish with English subtitles. Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead watching a so-called "foreign" film but this production is exceptional. EWTN airs it annually, marking the birth of this wonderful modern saint who was canonized by Pope John Paul II. I recommend this production most highly. True, there is no violence or sex but it is highly dramatic and it takes you to a higher plain.

With the production values of a telenovella, this 7 hour mini-series looks at the life of Juanita Fernandez Solar, who becomes Sister Teresa in a Carmelite convent in Chile in the early 20th century. Her parents are not enthused, nor her sisters and brothers. It seems the only ones who understand are some of her friends who are also considering religious life.

The mini-series goes through her life as a teenager in a well-to-do family for about the first five hours, and then the last two are spent examining her life in the convent. The portrayal shifts as she becomes more and more aware of her frustration and lack of satisfaction in the world, her joy in worshiping God and speaking of Him, and her longing to be a sister.

I heartily recommend it. It may start a bit slow, but by the end the long viewing time is well worth it. The acting is amazingly good, and the story only develops in intensity in the convent.

It was out of print in English for years, but has recently been re-released (2009) on DVD by Ignatius Press.