Illiterate
(Las analfabetas)
Moisés Sepúlveda | Drama, Fiction, Romance
2013 | 73 minutes | Chile
Ximena is an illiterate woman in her fifties who has learned to live on her own in order to keep her illiteracy a secret. Jackeline is a young unemployed elementary school teacher who tries to convince Ximena to take reading classes.
Synopsis
Ximena is an illiterate woman in her fifties who has learned to live on her own in order to keep her illiteracy a secret. Jackeline is a young unemployed elementary school teacher who tries to convince Ximena to take reading classes.
Persuading her proves to be an almost impossible task, until one day Jackeline finds something Ximena has been keeping as her only treasure since she was a child: a letter Ximena’s father left when he abandoned her many years before. The two women embark on a learning journey where they discover that there are many ways of being illiterate, and that not knowing how to read is just one of them.
Reviews
"Full of meanings that reverberate way beyond the small room in which it's mostly set, Chilean debutante Moises Sepulveda's Illiterate is a richly metaphorical and emotionally subtle two-hander about the painful efforts of a middle-aged woman learning how to read." — Jonathan Holland, The Hollywood Reporter
"When the credits came up, they all applauded. After talking to the [students] during the reception, most of them liked the irony of the story, as well as the comedy in the interactions of the main character." — Karem Orrego, Founder & Executive Director of Crisol Film initiative, University of Utah
"A really unusual topic and shot in such a wonderful way." — Sara Villa, Assistant Professor of Spanish, The New School
Citation
Main credits
Sepúlveda, Moisés (filmmaker)
Sepúlveda, Moisés (screenwriter)
Paredes, Pablo (screenwriter)
Bascuñan, Fernando (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Arnaldo Rodríguez; editor, Rodrigo Fernández; music, Cristóbal Carvajal.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Education
Family
Gender + Sexuality Studies
Sociology
South America
Women
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Mar del Plata International Film Festival - FEISAL Award
Havana Film Festival - Caminos Award
Martin Luther King Association
Huelva Iberoamerican Film Festival - Best Director
Santiago International Film Festival - Best Film Audience Award
Viña del Mar International Film Festival - Winner, Work-in-Progress
São Paulo International Film Festival
DIRECTOR: Moisés Sepúlveda
NATIONALITY: Chile
YEAR: 2013
GENRE: Drama, Fiction, Romance
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
Guaraní
The Delay
La demora
Seven Dogs
Siete perros
Matria
Elsa and Her Dancers
Elsa y su ballet
Cows Wearing Glasses
Las vacas con gafas
Cuernavaca
Nona, If They Soak Me I'll Burn Them
Nona, si me mojan yo los quemo
60 Years Old
60 años
I am from Chile
I Am From Chile
The Female Teachers of the Republic
Las Maestras de la República
Two Women and a Cow
Dos mujeres y una vaca
Chronicle of the End of the World
Crónica del fin del mundo
The Heiresses
Las herederas
That Was Life
La vida era eso
Related Collections
Fiction Films
A compelling glimpse into Spain and Latin America's rich storytelling traditions, showcasing a blend of established directors and emerging voices. Each film highlights the depth and creativity of the region.
Number of titles: 266
SEE COLLECTION >Spanish Language Films
A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.
Number of titles: 440
SEE COLLECTION >Women's Voices
These films challenge dominant narratives and offer compelling feminine visions of the region's past, present, and future.
Number of titles: 216
SEE COLLECTION >LGBTQ+
An insightful view into the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming community in Latin America and Spain.
Number of titles: 55
SEE COLLECTION >High School Collection
Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.
Number of titles: 509
SEE COLLECTION >The Pragda Complete Film Collection
The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.
Number of titles: 637
SEE COLLECTION >