- dir. Lucrecia Martel
- year. 2004
- country. Argentina
- run-time. 104 mins
- rating. 15
£5.00 (£3.50 conc.)
We continue our season of Latin American films directed by women with the first of two screenings of works by Lucrecia Martel. Martel is one of the most acclaimed directors working in cinema today, La Niña Santa was selected by Sight and Sounds as one of the best films of the first decade of the 21st century. In July we will be showing her later films The Headless Woman from 2008.
Lucrecia Martel's film is an enigmatic and absorbing tale about the temptation of good and the evil it causes. Sixteen year old schoolgirl Amalia (Maria Alche) lives with her divorcee mother, the manager of a shabby hotel which is hosting a medical conference. When a stranger makes a crude pass at her in a crowded street, Amalia later discovers that it was in fact one of the distinguished conference attendees, Dr Jano (Carlos Bellosos). Consumed by the heady combination of her fervent religious education and burgeoning sexuality, Amalia resolves to save the respected doctor from sin, a mission that brings both their worlds to the brink of collapse.
“languidly erotic... completely gripping”
“a masterpiece... stunning”
“transcendent... original and exciting”