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My Dearest Senorita

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My Dearest Senorita
Spanish film poster
SpanishMi querida señorita
Directed byJaime de Armiñán
Written byJosé Luis Borau
Jaime de Armiñán
Produced byLuis Megino
StarringJosé Luis López Vázquez
Julieta Serrano
Antonio Ferrandis
CinematographyLuis Cuadrado
Edited byAna Romero Marchent
Music byRafael Ferro
Release date
  • 17 February 1972 (1972-02-17)
Running time
80 minutes
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

My Dearest Senorita (Spanish: Mi querida señorita) is a 1972 Spanish film directed by Jaime de Armiñán. A romantic drama on the subject of sex change and intersexualism, it was the first Spanish film that talked about sexual orientation, which was a taboo subject in Spain during Franco's regime.[1] The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards. José Luis López Vázquez won the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actor at the Chicago International Film Festival in 1972.[2]

The film was released by In Cine, the Spanish division of Cinerama Releasing.

Plot

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Adela, a 43-year-old spinster who lives alone in an isolated northern provincial Spanish village, spends her days sewing and doing charity work. Never feeling particularly attracted to men, she is waited upon in her home by her faithful maid, Isabel (whom she affectionately calls Isabelita), who adores her.

One day, the local bank manager starts to court Adela and sets his sights on marriage. Repulsed by his physical overtures, Adela consults the local priest and confesses that, while she has never been physical with a woman, she feels "embarrassed" around them. On his advice, she resolves to consult a doctor. After a row, Adela fires Isabel. Upon seeing her doctor, Adela is informed that she is not a woman after all but a man. The former Adela moves to Madrid and takes on a new masculine identity, "Juan".

After trying to obtain income with no identity card, Juan runs into Isabel, working as a waitress in a local coffee shop. Soon, Juan begins using his sewing skills (the only skill he has) to bring in a small income and enable him to obtain a work permit. Eventually, he falls in love with Isabel, who reciprocates his feelings. However, out of fear, he resists consummating their relationship. Finally, they successfully make love; afterwards, he says that one day he will tell her something "very important." Isabelita surprises him by responding, "There is no need, señorita," showing that she already knew his secret.

Cast

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Reception

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The film attracted international attention and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1973.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Elio Castro. Antonio Martínez (20 February 2022). "La primera película que abordó en España la identidad de género". Cadena SER. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  2. ^ Michael Kutza. Starstruck - How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than Fifty Years., BearManor Media, 2022. ISBN 978-1629339573
  3. ^ "The 45th Academy Awards (1973) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 30 November 2011.

Notes

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  • Director Jaime de Armiñán and actress Julieta Serrano speak about film at 35 mm de cine español
  • Schwartz, Ronald, The Great Spanish Films: 1950- 1990,Scarecrow Press, London, 1991, ISBN 0-8108-2488-4
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