The Heiresses (Spanish: Las herederas) is a 2018 Paraguayan drama film directed by Marcelo Martinessi. Set in contemporary Asunción, it tells the story of two women who have lived together for 30 years in an inherited house but are running out of money. When one is imprisoned for attempted fraud, the other has to readjust her life. Selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, the leading actress Ana Brun won the Silver Bear for Best Actress and the director Marcelo Martinessi won the Silver Bear.
| The Heiresses | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Marcelo Martinessi |
| Written by | Marcelo Martinessi |
| Produced by | Sebastián Peña Escobar Marcelo Martinessi |
| Starring | Ana Brun, Margarita Irún Anna Ivanova |
| Cinematography | Luis Armando Arteaga |
| Edited by | Fernando Epstein |
| Distributed by | Luxbox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Paraguay |
| Language | Spanish |
Plot
editChela and Chiquita have been a couple for over 30 years but their funds are running out. They start selling the furniture and Chela, fearing disgrace, refuses money from friends. When Chiquita gets notice to report to the city jail, charged with seeking a loan fraudulently, Chela is suddenly on her own. Telling people Chiquita has gone for a stay by the sea, she carries on selling the house contents. Picuta, an elderly lady living close by, asks if Chela will drive her to visit friends who meet for cards and gossip. It was Chiquita who drove their venerable Mercedes, since Chela has no licence, but she obliges her neighbour, who forces cash on her to pay for the fuel. This develops into an informal taxi service for Picuta's friends.
On one of her trips meets the younger vivacious Angy, who begs her to drive out on the motorway to Itauguá, where her mother is being treated. Though Chela has never been on a motorway, she makes the effort. Angy takes an interest in the lonely older woman, telling her stories of her very varied love life. But the friendship takes a chill when Angy jumps out of the car to join a passing boyfriend. Chela also worries that Chiquita in the women's prison is too interested in the other inmates.
Chauffeuring Picuta and some of her friends to a funeral, she meets Angy again and late that night the two go back to Chela's house to share a bottle of wine. When Angy offers herself, Chela hides in the toilet. Emerging later to find Angy gone, she boozily drives round the darkened city looking for her. A few days later Chiquita is released, but Chela is disoriented by the stresses she has been under and the sudden changes she has faced. In the morning Chiquita finds both Chela and the car missing.
Cast
edit- Ana Brun as Chela
- Margarita Irún as Chiquita
- Ana Ivanova as Angy
- María Martins as Pituca
- Alicia Guerra as Carmela
- Yverá Zayas as a Singer
Accolades
editIt was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. At Berlin Ana Brun won the Silver Bear for Best Actress and Marcelo Martinessi won the Silver Bear 'Alfred Bauer' award to a film that 'opens new perspectives on cinematic art'.[1][2] The film was also selected as the Paraguayan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards,[3][4] for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 33rd Goya Awards, and for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 61st Ariel Awards. It also won a Best Directing Award at the 2019 Premios Fenix [5] and received the Best Actress and Best First Film Awards at the 2019 Premios Platino.[6]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Teddy Awards | Readers' Award | Marcelo Martinessi | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Silver Bear for Best Actress | Ana Brun | Won | |
| Alfred Bauer Prize (Silver Bear) | Marcelo Martinessi | Won | ||
| FIPRESCI | Won | |||
| Giuseppe Becce | Won | |||
| Fénix Awards | Best Film | Marcelo Martinessi | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Best Debut Film | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Luis Armando Arteaga | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction | Carlo Spatuzza | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Daniel Turini, Fernando Henna, Rafael Álvarez, Ariel Hernique |
Nominated | ||
| Cartagena Film Festival | Best Director | Marcelo Martinessi | Won | |
| FIPRESCI | Won | |||
| Transilvania International Film Festival[7] | Transilvania Trophy | Marcelo Martinessi | Won | |
| 2019 | Platino Awards | Best Actress | Ana Brun | Won |
| Best Screenplay | Marcelo Martinessi | Nominated | ||
| Best Ibero-American First Film | Won | |||
| Film and Education Values | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Luis Armando Arteaga | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | GLAAD Media Awards[8] | Outstanding Film – Limited Release | The Heiresses | Nominated |
Critical reception
editOn Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Heiresses holds an approval rating of 98% based on 80 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by a standout performance from Ana Brun, The Heiresses takes a thoroughly compelling look at lives little explored by mainstream cinema."[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Berlin Film Festival Fleshes Out Competition Lineup". Variety. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ^ "Press Releases: 68th Berlinale". 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ ""Las Herederas" será nuestra representante en los Premios Oscar, Goya y Ariel 2019". Academia de Cine del Paraguay. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ Mango, Agustin (10 September 2018). "Oscars: Paraguay Selects 'The Heiresses' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ "Martinessi gana premio Fénix al mejor director - Cine y TV - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py.
- ^ "'Las herederas' y 'Pájaros de verano' son las dos triunfadoras de Ibermedia en los Premios Platino". 13 May 2019.
- ^ "Câștigătorii TIFF 2018". Transilvania International Film Festival (in Romanian). 3 June 2018.
- ^ Gardner, Chris; Howard, Annie (8 January 2020). "GLAAD Media Awards: 'Booksmart,' 'Bombshell,' 'Rocketman' Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "The Heiresses Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "The Heiresses (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.