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
Directed byPatricia Ortega
Screenplay by
  • Patricia Ortega
  • José Ortuño
Produced by
  • Olmo Figueredo González-Quevedo
  • Carlos Rosado Sibon
  • José Alba
Starring
  • Kiti Mánver
  • Pepe Quero
  • Inés Benítez Viñuela
  • Silvia Acosta
  • Mari Paz Sayago
CinematographyFran Fernández-Pardo
Edited byFátima de los Santos
Music byPaloma Peñarrubia
Production
companies
  • La Claqueta PC
  • Mamacruz AIE
  • Pecado Films
  • Mandrágora Films
Distributed byFilmax
Release dates
  • 20 January 2023 (2023-01-20) (Sundance)
  • 27 October 2023 (2023-10-27) (Spain)
Countries
  • Spain
  • Venezuela
LanguageSpanish
Box office27,711[1]

Plot

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The plot concerns about the rediscovery of an old woman's long-forgotten sexuality and desire.[2]

Cast

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Production

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Initially 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 [es].[6][2] Shooting locations included Seville.[4]

Release

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Selected 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

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According 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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ "Acumulado cine español 2023" (PDF). Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Holland, Jonathan (21 January 2023). "'Mamacruz': Sundance Review". ScreenDaily.
  4. ^ a b c d Ortiz, Braulio (6 June 2022). "'Mamacruz' deja a un lado la costura". Diario de Sevilla. Grupo Joly.
  5. ^ a b Morillo, Jesús (28 May 2022). "Kiti Mánver rueda en Sevilla una comedia vitalista sobre el deseo en la tercera edad". ABC.
  6. ^ ""MAMACRUZ", de Patricia Ortega, competirá en el Festival de Cine de Sundance". Filmax. 7 December 2022.
  7. ^ Kay, Jeremy (7 December 2022). "Sundance unveils 2023 line-up". ScreenDaily.
  8. ^ Blanes, Pepa (21 January 2023). "Sundance 2023 | 'Mamacruz', Kiti Mánver y la defensa de la sexualidad de nuestras abuelas". Cadena SER.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Estrenada en Cines "Mamacruz", película participada por Canal Sur y protagonizada por Kiti Mánver". Canal Sur. 27 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Mamacruz". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  12. ^ Oller, Jacob (21 January 2023). "A Grandmother's Sexual Reawakening Brings out the Performance of a Lifetime in Mamacruz". Paste.
  13. ^ Boyce, Laurence (23 January 2023). "Review: Mamacruz". Cineuropa.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "Los Premios Carmen dan a conocer desde Huelva todos los nominados de su tercera edición". Huelva24. Grupo Vocento. 20 December 2023.
  16. ^ 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.
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