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

Mamacruz is a 2023 Spanish-Venezuelan comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Ortega and written by Ortega and José Ortuño. It stars Kiti Mánver.

Plot

The plot concerns about the rediscovery of an old woman's long-forgotten sexuality and desire.[1]

Cast

  • Kiti Mánver as Mamacruz[2]
  • Pepe Quero as Eduardo[2]
  • Silvia Acosta as Carlota[2]
  • Mari Paz Sayago as Marina[2]
  • Inés Benítez Viñuela[2]

Production

Initially developed by Ortega in her native Venezuela, the project did not manage to persuade potential co-producers to work in the country.[3] Upon a meeting of Ortega with Olmo Figueredo at 2019 Rome's MIA Market, the project eventually moved across the Atlantic to Spain.[4][3] The screenplay was penned by Ortega alongside José Ortuño, who helped to adapt the script to a "Sevillian idiosyncrasy".[4][3]

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.[5][1] Shooting locations included Seville.[3]

Release

Selected for the 'World Cinema Dramatic Competition' slate, Mamacruz premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2023.[6][7] Filmax swooped on international rights to the film in advance of its world premiere.[1] 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.[8] It opened in Spanish theatres on 27 October 2023.[9]

Reception

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.[10]

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".[2]

Jacob Oller of Paste deemed Mamacruz to be "a vibrant and lovely character study", that "makes the most of its horny matriarch".[11]

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".[12]

Accolades

Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
2024
11th Feroz AwardsBest Comedy FilmPending[13]
Best Actress in a FilmKiti MánverPending
38th Goya AwardsBest EditingFátima de los SantosPending[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pablos, Emiliano De (19 January 2023). "Filmax Takes Patricia Ortega's Sundance Premiere 'Mamacruz' for International Sales (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Holland, Jonathan (21 January 2023). "'Mamacruz': Sundance Review". ScreenDaily.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ortiz, Braulio (6 June 2022). "'Mamacruz' deja a un lado la costura". Diario de Sevilla. Grupo Joly.
  4. 1 2 Morillo, Jesús (28 May 2022). "Kiti Mánver rueda en Sevilla una comedia vitalista sobre el deseo en la tercera edad". ABC.
  5. ↑ ""MAMACRUZ", de Patricia Ortega, competirá en el Festival de Cine de Sundance". Filmax. 7 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (7 December 2022). "Sundance unveils 2023 line-up". ScreenDaily.
  7. ↑ Blanes, Pepa (21 January 2023). "Sundance 2023 | 'Mamacruz', Kiti Mánver y la defensa de la sexualidad de nuestras abuelas". Cadena SER.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ "Estrenada en Cines "Mamacruz", película participada por Canal Sur y protagonizada por Kiti Mánver". Canal Sur. 27 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Mamacruz". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Oller, Jacob (21 January 2023). "A Grandmother's Sexual Reawakening Brings out the Performance of a Lifetime in Mamacruz". Paste.
  12. ↑ Boyce, Laurence (23 January 2023). "Review: Mamacruz". Cineuropa.
  13. ↑ "'Cerrar los ojos', '20.000 especies de abejas' y 'Un amor' encabezan las nominaciones a los Premios Feroz". rtve.es. 23 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "Premios Goya 2024: '20.000 especies de abejas' arrasa en nominaciones por delante de Bayona y Erice". Cinemanía. 30 November 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
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