Princesas (2005)

Friendship and love in the world of prostitution in Madrid.

Director:

Fernando León de Aranoa

Writer:

Fernando León de Aranoa

Stars:

Candela Peña, Micaela Nevárez, Mariana Cordero

10 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Candela Peña	...	Caye
Micaela Nevárez	...	Zulema
Mariana Cordero	...	Pilar
Llum Barrera	...	Gloria
Violeta Pérez	...	Caren
Mònica Van Campen	...	Ángela (as Mónica Van Campen)
Flora Álvarez	...	Rosa
María Ballesteros	...	Miss Metadona
Alejandra Lorente	...	Mamen
Luis Callejo	...	Manuel
Antonio Durán 'Morris'	...	Funcionario (as Antonio Durán Morris)
Pere Arquillué	...	Carlos
Pepa Aniorte	...	Alicia
Alberto Ferreiro	...	Voluntario
Enrique Villén	...	Dueño del bar

Storyline

In Madrid's bustling streets, two perfect strangers, Caye, a thirty-year-old single woman, and Zulema, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, struggle to make ends meet working as prostitutes, of course, unbeknownst to their families. Under those circumstances and by an unforeseen twist of fate, the two rivals will quickly bond, and even though they are worlds apart, Caye and Zulema will soon realise that they have so much in common, and in reality, their coincidental and somewhat improbable encounter will be the beginning of a beautiful and profound friendship.

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Plot Keywords:

blowjob | prostitution | female nudity | friendship between women | sadist | 

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Taglines:

Tough tricks on the Spanish streets . . . (DVD)

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Quotes

Caye: [subtitled version] Weird, isn't it? Nostalgia. It's not a bad thing in itself. It means you had good times and you miss them. Me, I don't ever feel nostalgic. Nothing worth missing has ever come my way. Talk about shitty.

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Connections

Referenced in Aída: Los trilocos (2005)

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Soundtracks

Me llaman calle
Written & Performed by Manu Chao

User Reviews

no other life like this one

Caye is saving up for a boob job. She gets her money as Lima, whoring in the streets of Madrid. Every week she eats dinner with her family and worries abut her mother's increasingly slippery grip on reality. And she has theories on Princesses and their attachment to nostalgia. Caye has no past to be nostalgic for, so she is sad for her lost future. She meets illegal immigrant and fellow prostitute Zulema, and the friendship brings her some respite. But nothing good lasts forever...

Princesas is a poetic work, shot cinema verite style showing in uncompromising detail the degradation and danger that accompanies these women's lives. Candela Peña is engrossing as Caye, with no past to comfort her, and unable to see a better future, stuck in an eternal present. Her only hope is that there is not another life like this one. Zulema, the stunningly beautiful Micaela Nevárez, is compromised by a government bureaucrat lowlife who dangles just enough hope in front of her to facilitate his need to abuse. This relationship must be the only time in cinema history where a character looking for revenge packs a knife in her bag, and the audience never sees it again. Zulema, however, at least has a Pyrrhic victory of sorts (though the film falters slightly here, as it is unclear exactly who is infecting whom...)

A snapshot of lives lived in shadows and on the edges of our civilization, this is lyrically written, and shot in an unobtrusive, straightforward manner. Touching, truthful and ample food for thought.

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

2 September 2005 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Принцеси

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,147, 27 August 2006

Gross USA:

$29,472

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,446,185

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reposado Producciones, Mediapro, Antena 3 Televisión

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1