El lugar de la otra

Its nice seeing a moviw from my country. This movie is a powerful exploration of identity, desire, and the roles society imposes. Through the story of two women whose lives intertwine, the narrative blurs the boundaries between self and other, between what is real and what is projected. It examines how longing, perception, and external expectations shape who we believe we are. With subtlety and emotional depth, the work invites us to reflect on the masks we wear and what it truly means to inhabit someone else's place-even if just for a moment. If you're interested in drama and crime movies you should watch this one.

We've got plenty of feminist work in cinema but this story of intruding takes an honest look at the past. It reminds us how social immobility and income inequality is as old as gender disparity. While we celebrate what was allowed to us the question remains as to what happened to the other two battle fronts. While confinement become a home away for one, The other gets pushed into squatting and ideologically they cross paths to shed one layer of shackles. Flawless acting by the cast. Great cinematography and music. El Luga De La Otra is a radical movie that reminds both women and men of unfinished business.

This is a different type of movie which all may not like since the plot is far too simple for comfort and the narrative moves languidly with nothing exciting happening. However the cinematography is superb and so is the acting of leading lady Elisa Zulueta as Mercedes. The plot. The setting is Chile in 1955. A well to do lady writer has a disagreement with her lover in the dining room of a prominent hotel. Then in a fit of rage and in front of around dozen other guests and a few hotel staff members she shoots him dead at point blank range. So starts an investigation through questioning of witnesses. The lady secretary to the judge is a calm and quiet person who is busy typing out the questions asked of the witnesses and their answers . She lives with her husband and two sons in a small and modest flat which is cramped and claustrophobic. When she gets a chance to visit to visit the well furnished and stylish home of the accused she gets overwhelmed with the facilities available. For a few days she lives in a peaceful dream world away from her flat.

Director Maite Alberdi's aim is to show how Mercedes gets an opportunity to live a rich lady's life. Her happiness is shown beautifully as she bathes in the bathtub, puts on the costly dresses, wears the makeup, has tea in fine crockery and soaks in the ambience. The use of close ups and super close ups is very effectively done. Despite focusing on mundane activities the visually attractive scenes are a delight to watch. The movie belongs to Elisa Zulueta who emotes well and brings out her feelings so well specially in the closeups. (How the flat of the accused is kept open for use and not locked up as per normal norms needs explanation).

As chilean I felt so proud of this movie. The story is factual and accurate (except for the main character, that is). The author and the book are one of our dear readings, so I felt moved, and prompt to learn more about the background. Little did I know about Maria Carolina Geel and her own deeds at the time, and how Gabriela Mistral gave her a hand to set her free. Same as in the film, I don't believe that any woman close to the culture can feel uninvited somehow, and being dragged to experience a bit of the same sorority . The movie is pleasure to watch, well written and narrated; calm and introspective. Some criticism can be harsh, but quite real and again, accurate. At some point, there was a fight inside of me with the main character, but I couldn't help being absorbed by a recurrent call for compassion that leaves so much space for self expression. Many arguments were constructed subtlety, yet that wasn't the true intention. Not even the main trigger was relevant. The movie moves on a different layer, far from the mainstream. If you are looking for an experience rather than mere entertainment, this might be your option.

Even the Chilean national poet Gabriela MISTRAL (1889 - 1957), who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945, stood up for her convicted fellow writer.

In 1955, a sensational scandal occurred in Santiago de Chile. In the Hotel Crillon, the writer Maria Carolina Geel (Francisca LEWIN) shot her lover out of the blue. By chance, the court clerk Mercedes Arevalo (Elisa ZULUETA), who works for the investigating judge, comes into contact with this case. It turns out that she receives the keys to the defendant's luxurious apartment. This opens up a new world for the inconspicuous Mercedes, who is not taken entirely seriously by her husband (Pablo MACAYA) and two sons. Surrounded by beautiful things and in heavenly peace, Mercedes begins to rethink her own life and consider new horizons possible.

A quiet and beautiful narrative film from Chile, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Italian blockbuster TOMORROW IS ALSO ANOTHER DAY / C E ANCORA DOMANI by and starring Paola CORTELLESI. EL LUGAR DE LA OTRA by Maite ALBERDI was selected by Chile as a candidate for the OSCAR for Best International Film.