The Heiresses
(Las herederas)
Marcelo Martinessi | Drama, Fiction
2018 | 98 minutes | Paraguay, France, Germany, Norway, Brazil, Uruguay, Italy
Chela's life takes a turn when her partner is imprisoned, forcing her to drive a taxi and connect with new people and leading to a personal revolution.
Synopsis
Representing Paraguay at the Oscars and winner of four awards at the Berlinale, this film is a compelling portrait of Paraguayan society, depicting the decadence of its bourgeoisie and highlighting the role of women in an unchanging and sexist culture.
Chela and Chiquita, both descendants of wealthy families in Asunción, have been together for over 30 years. However, their recent financial struggles lead them to sell off their inherited possessions.
When Chiquita is imprisoned on fraud charges due to their mounting debts, Chela is forced to confront a new reality. Driving for the first time in years, she starts providing a local taxi service for a group of elderly wealthy ladies. As Chela adapts to her transformed life, she encounters the much younger Angy, establishing a fresh and invigorating connection.
Reviews
"Builds emotional involvement by infinitesimal degrees through its acute observation of characters and social contextand its ultra-naturalistic performances." — Hollywood Reporter
"'The Heiresses' is the kind of story hollywood doesn't tell anymore." — Seattle Times
"One of the best films of any sort you'll see." — Times
"'The Heiresses' is a tickling, near-perfect tragicomedy from Paraguay." — Financial Times
"An extraordinarily canny understanding of character" — Hollywood Reporter
"Intriguing, memorable and very powerful." — Dog and Wolf
Citation
Main credits
Martinessi, Marcelo (film director)
Martinessi, Marcelo (screenwriter)
Martinessi, Marcelo (film producer)
Peña Escobar, Sebastián (film producer)
Brun, Ana (actor)
Irún, Margarita (actor)
Ivanova, Ana (actor)
Other credits
Director of photography, Luis Armando Arteaga; editor, Fernando Epstein.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Criminal Justice
Economics + Social Class Issues
Health + Aging
Latin American Studies
South America
Women
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Oscar submission from Paraguay; Berlin International Film Festival - Silver Bear Best Actress, Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize, FIPRESCI International Critics Prize; Sydney Film Festival - Winner Grand Prix; Jeonju International Film Festival - Winner Grand Prize; Transilvania International Film Festival - Winner Transilvania Trophy; FICCI Cartagena Film Festival - Best Director, International Critics' Award FIPRESCI Best Film
DIRECTOR: Marcelo Martinessi
NATIONALITY: Paraguay, France, Germany, Norway, Brazil, Uruguay, Italy
YEAR: 2018
GENRE: Drama, Fiction
LANGUAGE: Spanish; Guarani; Other languages; Indigenous languages
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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