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The Heiresses Las herederas

Marcelo Martinessi / Paraguay, Germany, Norway, France, Brazil, Uruguay / 2018 / 95 min / Spanish

A quiet masterpiece by a voice from the little-known Paraguayan cinema. By centring on a relationship between two middle-aged women, The Heiresses explores personal growth, ranging from paralysing apathy to optimistic awakening.

festivals, awards Berlinale 2018 (Best Actress, FIPRESCI Prize, Alfred Bauer Award), Seattle 2018, Sydney 2018 (Best Film)

Chela and Chiquita have been a couple for a very long time. Extroverted Chiquita is responsible for managing their life together. Chela on the other hand is reluctant to leave the house, preferring to spend her days quietly in Chiquita’s shadow. When running into financial difficulties, Chiquita is sent to prison for debt. Suddenly left on her own, Chela is forced to wake up from emotional slumber. She uses her old Daimler to provide a taxi service to wealthy older ladies. In her new role, she meets the young and life-affirming Angy. This encounter helps Chela rediscover her long-forgotten desires.

“I was interested in this generation of lesbian women around 60s/70s that grew up under all the oppression of dictatorship and have internalised the homophobia of the system. /…/ It was important for me to show that they are not militant and that they are not modern lesbian women fighting for their rights. They are from a society where they had to grow up with borrowed identities, trying to be themselves but also playing someone else because they weren’t fully accepted by their own people.” (Marcelo Martinessi)

Marcelo Martinessi
Born in Paraguay in 1973, Martinessi studied communication in his hometown, followed by film at the London Film School. He soon achieved distinction with his short films, which revolve around literature and relevant political concerns. In 2010, he was appointed executive director of his country’s first public television station. He has recently been winning international recognition as a filmmaker and screenwriter.

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