My Prison Yard (Spanish: El patio de mi cárcel) is a 2008 Spanish prison drama film directed by Belén Macías. The female-dominated cast stars Candela Peña and Verónica Echegui alongside Ana Wagener, Blanca Portillo, Patricia Reyes Spíndola and Violeta Pérez.

My Prison Yard
Theatrical release poster
SpanishEl patio de mi cárcel
Directed byBelén Macías
Screenplay by
  • Belén Macías
  • Arantxa Cuesta
  • Elena Cánovas
Produced byEsther García
Starring
CinematographyJoaquín Manchado
Edited byAlejandro Lázaro
Music byJuan Pablo Compaired
Production
companies
Release dates
  • 22 September 2008 (2008-09-22) (SSIFF)
  • 26 September 2008 (2008-09-26) (Spain)
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

Plot

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A prison drama set in the 1980s, the plot tracks a group of female inmates who create a theatre group with help from a female prison officer, Mar.[1][2]

Cast

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Production

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An El Deseo and Warner Bros. Entertainment España production,[6] My Prison Yard began filming began on 8 October 2007.[7] Shooting lasted for 8 weeks, taking place in between the Madrid region and the province of Guadalajara.[8]

Release

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The film was presented on 22 September 2008 at the Kursaal as part of the main competition of the 56th San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF).[9]

Reception

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Irene Crespo of Cinemanía gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, considering that while not a promise of thematic renewal for Spanish cinema, the film seems to be a firm commitment to tell the social stories with renewed impetus.[10]

Jay Weissberg of Variety considered the film an "ultra-straight" drama, taking "the prize for most earnest and least self-aware women-in-prison film of the decade, if not longer", assessing that while never rising above TV movie material the female cast pulled solid and genuinely sympathetic performances.[4]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2009 64th CEC Medals Best Actress Verónica Echegui Nominated [11][12]
23rd Goya Awards Best New Director Belén Macías Nominated [13][14]
Goya Award for Best Actress Verónica Echegui Nominated
Goya Award for Best New Actress Ana Wagener Nominated
Goya Award for Best Original Song "Podemos volar juntos"
by Raul Sánchez Zafra, Juan Pablo Compaired
Nominated
18th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Film Actress in a Secondary Role Ana Wagener Won [15][16]
Best Film Actress in a Minor Role Natalia Mateo Nominated
Best New Actress Violeta Pérez Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "'Versión Española' emite 'El patio de mi cárcel', con Verónica Echegui, Candela Peña y Blanca Portillo". RTVE. 2 October 2015.
  2. ^ Marinero, Ismael (23 September 2008). "El patio de mi cárcel". Metrópoli – via El Mundo.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "El patio de mi cárcel". El Imparcial. 20 January 2009.
  4. ^ a b Weissberg, Jay (25 September 2008). "My Prison Yard". Variety.
  5. ^ Rubio Alcover, Agustín; Fernández Fernández, César (2015). "Círculos sin fronteras. Paraísos artificiales y diversidad regional en el cine español contemporáneo (la representación del "mundo de la droga")" (PDF). Inter-Lignes. Revue de la Faculté libre des Lettres. 15: 14. ISSN 1959-6995.
  6. ^ "Belén Macías rueda "El patio de mi cárcel", con Blanca Portillo y Candela Peña". Público. 1 October 2007.
  7. ^ ""El patio de mi cárcel", mujeres encarceladas con final esperanzador". Público. 5 November 2007.
  8. ^ "'El patio de mi cárcel', primera cinta española en la Sección Oficial". ABC. 22 September 2008.
  9. ^ Pérez de Zabalza, Lucía (22 September 2008). "El drama 'El patio de mi cárcel', primera apuesta española para la Concha de Oro". El Mundo.
  10. ^ Crespo, Irene (26 September 2008). "El patio de mi cárcel". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  11. ^ "Fernando Guillén, medalla de honor del Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos". La Vanguardia. 16 January 2009.
  12. ^ ""Casual Day" triunfa en los premios de los escritores cinematográficos". Público. 26 January 2009.
  13. ^ "El patio de mi cárcel". Premios Goya. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Un total de 37 películas compiten en los Goya" (PDF). Revista Academia (152): 4. January 2009. ISSN 1136-8144.
  15. ^ "Penélope Cruz y Chus Lampreave, rivales en los Premios de la Unión de Actores". 20minutos.es (in Spanish). 19 January 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  16. ^ "El filme ´Camino´ arrasa en los Premios de la Unión de Actores". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 11 March 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2021.