The Holy Girl (2004) La niña santa (original title)

Director:

Lucrecia Martel

Writers:

Lucrecia Martel (written by)
Juan Pablo Domenech (contributing writer)

Release Date:

6 May 2004 (Argentina)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

16-year-old Amalia looks to save the soul a middle-aged doctor.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Teen | Doctor | 16 Year Old | Mother Daughter Relationship

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Mercedes Morán	...	Helena
Carlos Belloso	...	Dr. Jano
Alejandro Urdapilleta	...	Freddy
María Alche	...	Amalia
Julieta Zylberberg	...	Josefina
Mía Maestro	...	Inés
Marta Lubos	...	Mirta
Arturo Goetz	...	Dr. Vesalio
Alejo Mango	...	Dr. Cuesta
Mónica Villa	...	Madre de Josefina
Leandro Stivelman	...	Julian
Manuel Schaller	...	Thermin player
Miriam Diaz	...	Miriam
Rodolfo Cejas	...	Josefina's father
Maria Victoria Mosca Coll	...	Local girl
Ornella Velazco	...	Local girl
Guadalupe Pardo Hernandez	...	Local girl
Ana Carolina Beltran	...	Local girl
Rodolfo Cabrera	...	Manuel the plumber
Maria Susana Falcon	...	Josefina's aunt
Guillermo Enrique Castro	...	Lad in accident
Victor Anuch	...	Juan Pablo
Sebastian Diaz Sabala	...	Juan Pablo's friend
Maria Micol Ellero	...	Josefina's sister
Sebastián Montagna	...	Josefina's brother
Maria Emilia Martinez	...	Josefina's sister
Guido Nunez	...	Medical consultant
Nilda Silvia Suarez	...	Photocopier woman
Ana Maria Fernandez	...	Jano's wife
Carlos Silvio Poma	...	Dr. Lara
Eduardo Jesus Chaig	...	Doctor
Juan Solis	...	Doctor
Roberto Bernacki	...	Doctor
Oscar Victoriano Sarmiento	...	Doctor
David Daniel Torino	...	Doctor
Eliana Santillan	...	Servant
Alejandro Leonidas Diaz	...	Pool worker
Florinda Rosa Guamante	...	Caretaker
David Mansilla	...	Hotel porter
Pablo Arias	...	Hotel porter
Marcos Reynoso	...	Phone assistant

Directed by
Lucrecia Martel

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Juan Pablo Domenech		contributing writer
Lucrecia Martel		written by

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar	....	co-producer: El Deseo S.A.
Pedro Almodóvar	....	executive producer
Tilde Corsi	....	associate producer
Esther García	....	executive producer
Alfredo Ghirardo	....	co-producer
Nora Kohen	....	co-producer
Cesare Petrillo	....	associate producer
Vieri Razzini	....	associate producer
Gianni Romoli	....	associate producer
Lita Stantic	....	producer
Álvaro Urtizberea	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Andres Gerszenzon

Cinematography by
Félix Monti

Film Editing by
Santiago Ricci

Casting by
Nicolas Levin
Natalia Smirnoff

Art Direction by
Graciela Oderigo

Set Decoration by
Fernando Brun

Costume Design by
Julio Suárez

Makeup Department
Marisa Amenta	....	makeup artist
Marcelo Iúdice	....	hair stylist
Etelvina Veron	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Matías Mosteirín	....	production director
Marta Parga	....	production manager
Marta Parga	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Florencia Blanco	....	assistant director
Natalia Smirnoff	....	assistant director
Fabiana Tiscornia	....	assistant director

Art Department
Angélica Alvear	....	set dresser
Martín Libert	....	property master

Sound Department
Guido Berenblum	....	sound
Marcos De Aguirre	....	sound
Roberto Espinoza	....	foley artist
David Miranda	....	sound
Victor Alejandro Tendler	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Sergio Rentero	....	visual effects supervisor
Rodrigo S. Tomasso	....	digital restoration (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Luisa Cavanagh	....	video assist
Lucas Guidalevich	....	film recorder operator: Cineon
Daniel Hermo	....	gaffer
Manuel Rebella	....	electrician
Victor Vasini	....	film recorder operator: Cineon

Other crew
Gustavo Guido	....	production assistant
Carola Jalife	....	continuity

Production Companies

• La Pasionaria S.r.l.
• R&C Produzioni
• Teodora Film
• El Deseo S.A.
• Fondazione Montecinemaverita
• Hubert Bals Fund
• Lita Stantic Producciones

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• HBO Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Monopole-Pathé (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Pyramide Distribution (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2005) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Cecchi Gori Group (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• Homescreen (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"La niña santa" - Argentina (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexual content and brief nudity

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Argentina | Italy | Netherlands | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | UK:15 | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:12 | Austria:12 | Belgium:KT | Canada:PG | Italy:T | USA:R (certificate #41466) | Spain:13 | Ireland:15A

Filming Locations:

Salta, Argentina

Company:

La Pasionaria S.r.l.

Soundtrack:

Cara de Gitana

Girls go wild, quietly

To enjoy "The Holy Girl," you have to watch it in a certain way. Watching for plot will leave you unsatisfied; I'd recommend watching for character instead. Lucrecia Martel attempts to use her impressive technique to nail down the psychology of her characters; this works especially well for her protagonist, Amalia. While freewheeling through the bush near the reputed site of a post-car crash miracle, a fade to silence fills the air with Amalia's desire for transcendence. (Martel's sound is expressive throughout, particularly a theremin solo as weirdly kinky as the scene it illustrates.)

The most interesting relationship is between Amalia and Jose. Shallow but not empty, they're attractive not because of their bone structure but because of their vitality - it shines through even when they're bored, which is most of the time. Their bond isn't as intense as Kate Winslet's and Melanie Lynskey's in "Heavenly Creatures," but it's the same sort of friendship (albeit not consummated), only things spin out of control in a less bloodstained way. Amalia and a mildly perverted doctor also have some amusing scenes, while the character of Amalia's mother fails to add any more than the predictable ironies.

The movie ends where it ends to avoid humiliating the characters any more than is strictly necessary; I like these endings where something is left to the viewers' imaginations, though obviously not everyone would agree. Some of Martel's social themes, like the way the middle class appropriates religion to serve itself, are lost along the way. "The Holy Girl" isn't as lovably wild as "Y tu mamá también," but on the topic of sexual hypocrisy, it's just as smart, and maybe funnier.