An intimate exploration of life inside a Chilean women’s prison, where incarcerated mothers are allowed to keep their children with them until the age of two. After this point, the mothers lose control over who cares for their children and whether they can maintain contact with them.

The documentary is constructed entirely from clandestinely shot cell phone footage and still photographs taken by the inmates themselves, providing an unfiltered and deeply personal perspective on their experiences. Through these fragmented visuals, the film captures the daily struggles of more than 20 mothers.

Director Tana Gilbert’s decision to preserve the original vertical format of the footage and re-digitize it to create a physical presence underscores the film’s commitment to authenticity.

Themes of motherhood, powerlessness, longing, and resilience are interwoven with moments of mutual support and affection among the prisoners, highlighting how solidarity becomes a form of resistance and empowerment.

“An example of Sisterhood’s formidable strengths.” – Kees Driessen, Business Doc Europe

“An anthem of human, maternal, cinematographic resistance” – Antonio Maiorino, Taxidrivers

“The strength of Malqueridas lies right on the boundary between vision and blindness, the same that separates forced isolation from the idea of a city.” – Michele Faggi, Indie-Eye Cinema

“Because its subject is vertiginous, because its formal approach is masterful, a radical gesture that makes the off-screen come to life and shows us only the details, the blurred image, the stolen pixels. Narrative and set-up are at the service of the witnesses. The director puts us side by side with the incarcerated women, without passing any judgment on their value, and this is a prowess of cinema’s poetic license” - Jury statement, Settimana Internazionale della Critica 2023

“Malqueridas is so full of incident and emotion that it could be a Charles Dickens novel, but these are real people. The film gives a face and voice to the unseen, allowing the viewer to glimpse the humanity of the inmates and care about all the heartbreak they endure.” – Allan Hunter, Screen International

“A view of this world that is more intimate and prisoner-led than what is usually depicted in movies about jail life.” – Carmen Gray, The Film Verdict

“Tana Gilbert has signed a work of annihilating and aching beauty, which manages to become even utopian; among the first works seen at the Venice Lido one of the most convincing, and courageous.” – Raffaele Meale, Quinlan

Coming soon.

A MARC record for this title is not available yet.

Venice Settimana Internazionale della Critica - Best Film, Best Technical Contribution, Special Mention for Editing; IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; Valdivia International Film Festival - Audience Award, Special Mention; São Paulo International Film Festival; SEMINCI Valladolid International Film Festival; Mar del Plata International Film Festival - Best Film