The Whore and the Whale (2004)
"La puta y la ballena" (original title)

A Spanish writer finds an old coffer with photographs of an Argentine man who fought and died in the Spanish Civil War, and of a woman. Her quest for answers brings Vera to the Argentine ... See full summary »

Director:

Luis Puenzo

Writers:

Ángeles González Sinde, Lucía Puenzo,

Stars:

Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Pep Munné

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leonardo Sbaraglia	...	Emilio
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón	...	Vera
Pep Munné	...	Jordi
Mercè Llorens	...	Lola
Martín Caloni	...	Juanito
Pompeyo Audivert	...	El gringo Orestes
Miguel Ángel Solá	...	Suárez
Nicolás Tognola	...	El Pibe Pedro
Belén Blanco	...	Matilde
Natalia Otero	...	Prostituta
Carola Reyna	...	Meme
Lydia Lamaison	...	Matilde
Óscar Guzmán	...	Urondo
Edward Nutkiewicz	...	Ernesto
Nina Krakoff	...	Prostitute

Storyline

A Spanish writer finds an old coffer with photographs of an Argentine man who fought and died in the Spanish Civil War, and of a woman. Her quest for answers brings Vera to the Argentine Patagonia.

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Plot Keywords:

patagonia | whale | flashback | end of the world | animal in title | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site [ar]

Country:

Argentina Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

1 April 2004 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

A szajha és a bálna

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company Credits

Production Co:

Historias Cinematograficas Cinemania, Patagonik Film Group, Wanda Visión S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Free to be me

This was a very beautiful film by writer/director Luis Puenzo, who last blew me away with his film The Official Story.

It was two stories in one, connects by threads that ran from one to the other - the whale, a woman and a man, and chance.

The gorgeous Aitana Sánchez-Gijón (The Machinist, Mouth to Mouth) plays Vera, who is facing cancer and, having her breast removed, is feeling rather hopeless. Chance has her in a hospital be next to an old woman who is connected to events before the Spanish Civil War.

Those events, and the story of Lola (Mercè Llorens), Mathide (Belén Blanco), Suarez (Miguel Ángel Solá), and Emilio (Leonardo Sbaraglia), are told simultaneously and she is drawn into the story by a box of photos and a request to do a new book by her editor.

Her explorations of herself in the face of cancer, and the story of the showgirl turned prostitute, are connected by a whale that appears in both off the shores of Patagonia.

The art, cinematography, costumes, and music are absolutely wonderful and make this an enjoyable experience.