Princesas

Two young prostitutes have a chance encounter in the streets of Spain. The sensitive and intense Caye (Candela Peña) finds Zule (Michaela Nevárez), an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, in the process of stealing her customer for less money. The newly arrived Dominican streetwalkers are already a bone of contention for their Spanish counterparts, as competition, as well as the racist stigma associated with their darker-skinned competition. Yet, Caye and Zule form an unlikely bond when the young Dominican woman is beaten and must be taken to the hospital. Caye stands by her, in the face of her colleague's pain, not only as a victim of repeated domestic violence, but, as an illegal immigrant. The trick responsible for leaving her bruised and battered is doing a sick trade with Zule, in order for her to obtain residency papers to legally stay and work in Spain. Ultimately, her hope is to bring her young son to live with her there. Meanwhile, Caye has her own set of problems. Her mother (with whom she lives) refuses to accept that her husband died some three years before, sends flowers and notes to herself and claims they came from her deceased spouse. The family must play along with the charade to appease to her mother's delusion.

PRINCESAS was beautifully written and directed by Fernando Leon de Aranda, and has a gorgeous soundtrack written by the great Manu Chao and Alfonso de Vilallonga. Shot with a handheld camera, we really get a sense of the urgency and desperation that these two women face, along with their counterparts. Though, they are part of the oldest profession (prostitution), this is almost an incidental part of the story. The character development is strong, the writing is engaging and the film is filled with warm, humorous moments, as well as dramatic and painful sequences. Ultimately, the title is in reference to Caye's dialogue with Zule, about how they have the possibility of being princesses, in spite of all the curve balls, pain and injustice that life throws in their path. Though, it isn't obvious why both women turn to prostitution, their exchanges give us a glimpse into the fine lines they tread, just to survive in the world. Perhaps neither of them was ever given a chance in life, nor, the opportunity to realize their potential in other fields in the world. They are clearly intelligent and able women. This film truly is poetry set to motion and will make you think. Drop your preconceived notions and judgments surrounding prostitution before watching PRINCESAS and prepare to be enlightened. This is one film I highly recommend.

I say every time when I see a spanish film, this country is full of great actors and great directors, I like this film because is "real" is talk about the life of the women who work on the road, this is a real story, is one of the best spanish film for me.

A not too sentimental look at the lives of prostitutes, both domestic and illegally emigrated, in Spain, this film shows the influence of both Almodovar and the NeoRealists, while differing from and building on both...nothing here is as near-fantasticated as Almodovar's preferred mode, for example. One sort of pun I liked, which might get past non-Hispanophone viewers, is that the protagonist's "street" name is Caye, which is a homophone, or near enough, for "calle" or "street" in most Spanish-language accents. Sobering more than depressing, with a talented and striking cast, and a well-wrought character study as well as social critique.

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