Mamacruz is a 2023 Spanish-Venezuelan comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Ortega and written by Ortega and José Ortuño. It stars Kiti Mánver.
| Mamacruz | |
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| Directed by | Patricia Ortega |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Fran Fernández-Pardo |
| Edited by | Fátima de los Santos |
| Music by | Paloma Peñarrubia |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Filmax |
Release dates |
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| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
| Box office | €27,711[1] |
Plot
editThe plot concerns about the rediscovery of an old woman's long-forgotten sexuality and desire.[2]
Cast
edit- Kiti Mánver as Mamacruz[3]
- Pepe Quero as Eduardo[3]
- Silvia Acosta as Carlota[3]
- Mari Paz Sayago as Marina[3]
- Inés Benítez Viñuela[3]
Production
editInitially developed by Ortega in her native Venezuela, the project did not manage to persuade potential co-producers to work in the country.[4] Upon a meeting of Ortega with Olmo Figueredo at 2019 Rome's MIA Market, the project eventually moved across the Atlantic to Spain.[5][4] The screenplay was penned by Ortega alongside José Ortuño, who helped to adapt the script to a "Sevillian idiosyncrasy".[5][4]
A Spanish-Venezuelan co-production, the film was produced by La Claqueta PC, Mamacruz AIE, and Pecado Films alongside Mandrágora Films, with the participation of Canal Sur Radio y Televisión, support from ICAA, and help from A.A.II.CC.[6][2] Shooting locations included Seville.[4]
Release
editSelected for the 'World Cinema Dramatic Competition' slate, Mamacruz premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2023.[7][8] Filmax swooped on international rights to the film in advance of its world premiere.[2] It also made it to an out-of-competition slot of the official selection of the 68th Valladolid International Film Festival for its European premiere.[9] It opened in Spanish theatres on 27 October 2023.[10]
Reception
editAccording to the American review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Mamacruz has a 100% approval rating based on 19 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.9/10.[11]
Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily assessed that "the veteran Manver delivers a masterclass in nuance as a quietly-spoken, humble and repressed woman undergoing a violent inner transformation".[3]
Jacob Oller of Paste deemed Mamacruz to be "a vibrant and lovely character study", that "makes the most of its horny matriarch".[12]
Laurence Boyce of Cineuropa deemed the film to be a "personal and affecting piece of work that is both an achingly human portrait of a woman exploring her desires in her later years and a celebration of female sexuality".[13]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 |
11th Feroz Awards | Best Comedy Film | Nominated | [14] | |
| Best Actress in a Film | Kiti Mánver | Nominated | |||
| 3rd Carmen Awards | Best Film | Nominated | [15] | ||
| Best Director | Patricia Ortega | Won | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Patricia Ortega, José Ortuño | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Kiti Mánver | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Mari Paz Sayago | Won | |||
| Best New Actress | Mercedes Moral | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Fran Fernández Pardo | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Fátima de los Santos | Won | |||
| Best Production Supervision | Manolo Limón | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Esther Vaquero | Nominated | |||
| Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Anabel Beato, Carmela Martín | Nominated | |||
| 38th Goya Awards | Best Editing | Fátima de los Santos | Nominated | [16] | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Acumulado cine español 2023" (PDF). Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Pablos, Emiliano De (19 January 2023). "Filmax Takes Patricia Ortega's Sundance Premiere 'Mamacruz' for International Sales (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Holland, Jonathan (21 January 2023). "'Mamacruz': Sundance Review". ScreenDaily.
- ^ a b c d Ortiz, Braulio (6 June 2022). "'Mamacruz' deja a un lado la costura". Diario de Sevilla. Grupo Joly.
- ^ a b Morillo, Jesús (28 May 2022). "Kiti Mánver rueda en Sevilla una comedia vitalista sobre el deseo en la tercera edad". ABC.
- ^ ""MAMACRUZ", de Patricia Ortega, competirá en el Festival de Cine de Sundance". Filmax. 7 December 2022.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (7 December 2022). "Sundance unveils 2023 line-up". ScreenDaily.
- ^ Blanes, Pepa (21 January 2023). "Sundance 2023 | 'Mamacruz', Kiti Mánver y la defensa de la sexualidad de nuestras abuelas". Cadena SER.
- ^ De Pablos, Emiliano (20 October 2023). "Spain's Valladolid Festival Honors Berenice Bejo, Charlotte Rampling, Broadens Its Spanish Cinema Range, Bets on International Growth". Variety.
- ^ "Estrenada en Cines "Mamacruz", película participada por Canal Sur y protagonizada por Kiti Mánver". Canal Sur. 27 October 2023.
- ^ "Mamacruz". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Oller, Jacob (21 January 2023). "A Grandmother's Sexual Reawakening Brings out the Performance of a Lifetime in Mamacruz". Paste.
- ^ Boyce, Laurence (23 January 2023). "Review: Mamacruz". Cineuropa.
- ^ Álvarez Patilla, Diego (27 January 2024). "» Cultura Premios Feroz 2024: '20.000 especies de abejas', 'Robot Dreams' y 'La Mesías' dominan la lista de ganadores". rtve.es.
- ^ "Los Premios Carmen dan a conocer desde Huelva todos los nominados de su tercera edición". Huelva24. Grupo Vocento. 20 December 2023.
- ^ Hopewell, John (11 February 2024). "Spain's Goya Awards: J.A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow' Wins Best Picture, Director as Sigourney Weaver Receives an International Goya". Variety.