The Heiresses (2018 film)


The Heiresses is a 2018 Paraguayan drama film directed by Marcelo Martinessi. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. At Berlin Ana Brun won the Silver Bear for Best Actress and Marcelo Martinessi won the Silver Bear 'Alfred Bauer' award to a film that 'opens new perspectives on cinematic art'. The film was also selected as the Paraguayan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 33rd Goya Awards, and for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 61st Ariel Awards. It also won a Best Directing Award at the 2019 Premios Fenix and received the Best Actress and Best First Film Awards at the 2019 Premios Platino.

Plot

Chela and Chiquita, brought up in wealthy families in Asunción, Paraguay, have lived together in a lesbian relationship for over 30 years. Their financial situation has now worsened and they begin selling off their inherited possessions.
When their debts lead to Chiquita being imprisoned for fraud, Chela is forced to face a new reality. Driving for the first time in years, she begins to provide a local taxi service to a group of elderly wealthy ladies.
As Chela settles into her new life, she encounters the much younger Angy, forging a fresh and invigorating new connection. Chela finally begins to break out of her shell and engage with the world, embarking on her own personal, intimate revolution.

Cast

Critical reception

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Heiresses holds an approval rating of 97% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 7.83/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by a standout performance from Ana Brun, The Heiresses takes a thoroughly compelling look at lives little explored by mainstream cinema."