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 & 17 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.

---

Plot Keywords:

prostitution | friendship between women | female nudity | sadist | off screen rape | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

2 September 2005 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Принцеси

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

€740,666 (Spain), 4 September 2005, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,147, 27 August 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$28,866, 5 November 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reposado Producciones, Mediapro, Antena 3 Televisión

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Caye: [subtitled version] Can you feel nostalgic over something that hasn't happened yet? Because sometimes I do. I sometimes imagine how things will turn out, with boys, for example, or life in general. And I feel sad when I remember how nice they were going to be, because they were going to be beautiful, really beautiful. Then I get nostalgic when I remember. Because they were going to be so beautiful. And when I realize they haven't happened yet and that they might never happen, I get really sad.

---

Connections

Referenced in Aída: Tu madre se ha comido mi dedo (2006)

---

Soundtracks

5 Razones
Performed by Manu Chao

User Reviews

There are films which climb to great heights

"Princesas" is one of them. After seeing Fernando León de Aranoa's wonderful film "Los Lunes al Sol" (qv), I was hungry for more. I am a great lover of cinema which has either been taken from live theatre or which delve into the realness of the human condition, of human feelings, which explore the depths of what makes people tick, of what makes people think, feel, love, hate, of what makes people on celluloid be real live living people with character and personality and deep feelings. In this aspect "Princesas" is a beautiful, moving, thoughtful piece which deserves great accolade. I left the cinema with very very deep feelings running through my heart and mind, such that I missed the bus-stop, and in the end walked all the way home - about three kilometres!

Without any doubt, the young Spanish directors Amenábar and León de Aranoa are now well above the more famous Almodóvar. "Princesas" is about prostitutes. Well, forget that: it is about two beautiful people who find themselves working the streets - and the mobile (cell) phone - to get clients. But it is also about friendship, love between two women who have had to drop out into the seamier world of the big cities - in this case, Madrid.

León de Aranoa treats the subject matter with such poignant delicacy, with such understanding sensitivity, with such superb and tasteful exquisiteness, that towards the end of the film more than one little tear dropped from my eyes. And that does not often happen.

Candela Peña, (Todo sobre mi madre, qv) (Te doy mis ojos, qv), and Micaela Nevárez in her first film, offer us superb readings of their characters; both are superb; both won my heart. The chemistry between these two young women - Spanish and Dominican - was so magnificent, you would swear they had lived all their lives together. They had me feeling for them, for their situation, for their loves, and desires, and hopes, and Zulema wanting to get back to her child in the Dominican Republic.

The music by Manu Chao and Gato Pérez was at times a little over strident, but befitting the telling of the story. (There are also other pieces of music not yet mentioned in IMDb).

Ramiro Civita's photography, especially in the facial close-ups is astounding, bringing out the best of the actresses feelings, anguish, torments. Superb work, though some scenes with hand-held camera were at times chaotic. Nevertheless, I pass over this.

The same as in "Te doy Mis Ojos"(qv) we have here an important sociological document in the form of a film with a story to tell. Women find themselves in bad situations directly due to men's vain and stupid attempts at being superior over them. Men fail miserably; as I have said in "Te doy mis ojos": this film makes me feel ashamed of being a man. So does "Princesas". A beautiful, warm, tender, hard story, so wonderfully told.

I shall see this film again before it is taken off from the local multi -cinemas, and will buy the DVD as soon as it is in the shops.

Here is another film to add to the best six Spanish films of all times:

El Sur

Los Santos Inocentes

Mar Adentro

Princesas

Te doy Mis Ojos

A los que Aman (all commented on in IMDb)