The Heiresses

(Las herederas)
Marcelo Martinessi | Drama

2018 | 98 minutes | Paraguay, France, Germany, Norway, Brazil, Uruguay, Italy

Chela's life takes a turn when her partner is imprisoned, forcing her to drive a taxi and connect with new people and leading to a personal revolution.

Synopsis

Representing Paraguay at the Oscars and winner of four awards at the Berlinale, this film is a compelling portrait of Paraguayan society, depicting the decadence of its bourgeoisie and highlighting the role of women in an unchanging and sexist culture.

Chela and Chiquita, both descendants of wealthy families in Asunción, have been together for over 30 years. However, their recent financial struggles lead them to sell off their inherited possessions.

When Chiquita is imprisoned on fraud charges due to their mounting debts, Chela is forced to confront a new reality. Driving for the first time in years, she starts providing a local taxi service for a group of elderly wealthy ladies. As Chela adapts to her transformed life, she encounters the much younger Angy, establishing a fresh and invigorating connection.

Reviews

"Builds emotional involvement by infinitesimal degrees through its acute observation of characters and social contextand its ultra-naturalistic performances." — Hollywood Reporter

"'The Heiresses' is the kind of story hollywood doesn't tell anymore." — Seattle Times
"One of the best films of any sort you'll see." — Times

"'The Heiresses' is a tickling, near-perfect tragicomedy from Paraguay." — Financial Times
"An extraordinarily canny understanding of character" — Hollywood Reporter

"Intriguing, memorable and very powerful." — Dog and Wolf

Citation
Main credits

Martinessi, Marcelo (film director)
Martinessi, Marcelo (screenwriter)
Martinessi, Marcelo (film producer)
Peña Escobar, Sebastián (film producer)
Brun, Ana (actor)
Irún, Margarita (actor)
Ivanova, Ana (actor)

Other credits

Director of photography, Luis Armando Arteaga; editor, Fernando Epstein.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
The Heiresses,Las herederas,Marcelo Martinessi,Margarita Irun,Ana Ivanoca,Ana Brun,women empowerment,drama,Paraguay, wealthy families,financial struggle,inheritance,possessions,fraud charges,imprisonment,new reality,taxi service,elderly ladies,connection,breaking out,personal revolution, relationships,self-discovery,women,womanhood,gender,girl,girlhood,mother,motherhood,female,cis woman,cis female,trans woman,trans female,women’s rights,women’s issues,lady,ladies,gentlewoman,madame,miss,missus,mrs.,dame,damsel,ingenue,lass,maid,maiden,belle,gal,ladyfriend,girlfriend,dear,darling,widow,matron,dowager,gender,gender equality,gender pay gap,women’s liberation,women’s rights,health,healthy,physical health,mental health,emotional health,health equity,public health,health care,health policy,fitness,veracity,welfare,soundness,aging,age,old age,senior,youth,middle age,aging gracefully,advanced age,collective health,maturity,economics,social class,money,capital,capitalism,class,economy,prejudice,intersectionality,inequality,poverty,income gap,wage gap,class warfare,elitism,snobbery,bourgeois,poverty,upper class,middle class,lower class,nouveau riche,criminal justice,crime,judiciary,police reform,corrections,criminal law,judicial system,justice department,prosecution,judgement,criminal law,courts and corrections,corrections institutes,south america,south american countries,countries in south america,argentina,bolivia,brazil,chile,colombia,ecuador,guyana,paraguay,peru,suriname,uruguay,venezuela,south american politics,south american culture,south american cuisine,south american education,south america in media,south american languages,south america history,latin american studies,caribbean american studies,island studies,latin american culture,latin american history,latin american politics, caribbean american culture,caribbean american history,caribbean american politics, latin american languages,latin american and caribbean studies,hispanic american studies,hispanic people,hispanic culture,hispanic politics; "The Heiresses"; Pragda Films
Clips
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Festivals

Oscar submission from Paraguay; Berlin International Film Festival - Silver Bear Best Actress, Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize, FIPRESCI International Critics Prize; Sydney Film Festival - Winner Grand Prix; Jeonju International Film Festival - Winner Grand Prize; Transilvania International Film Festival - Winner Transilvania Trophy; FICCI Cartagena Film Festival - Best Director, International Critics' Award FIPRESCI Best Film

DIRECTOR: Marcelo Martinessi

NATIONALITY: Paraguay, France, Germany, Norway, Brazil, Uruguay, Italy

YEAR: 2018

GENRE: Drama

LANGUAGE: Spanish; Guarani; Other languages; Indigenous languages

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adult

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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