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The Red Virgin

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The Red Virgin
Theatrical release poster
SpanishLa virgen roja
Directed byPaula Ortiz
Screenplay by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPedro J. Márquez
Edited byPablo Gómez-Pan
Music byJuanma Latorre
Guille Galván
Production
companies
Distributed byElastica (es)
Release dates
  • 22 September 2024 (2024-09-22) (Zinemaldia)
  • 27 September 2024 (2024-09-27) (Spain)
Countries
  • United States
  • Spain
LanguageSpanish

The Red Virgin[1] (Spanish: La virgen roja;[2] also known under the working title of Hildegart) is a 2024 drama film directed by Paula Ortiz from a screenplay by Eduard Sola and Clara Roquet starring Najwa Nimri and Alba Planas as respectively Aurora and Hildegart Rodríguez. Set during the Second Spanish Republic, the plot follows the tortuous relationship between a child prodigy, pundit on female sexuality and lodestar of sexual revolution (Planas) and her obsessive mother (Nimri), who groomed her and keeps her under a tight grip.

The film world premiered at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on 22 September 2024, ahead of its 27 September 2024 theatrical release in Spain by Elastica.

Plot

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An affluent woman, Aurora Rodríguez, copulates with a clergyman. The result is the birth of Hildegart, who Aurora homeschools and grooms to become a girl prodigy able to change the world.

In 1931 Madrid, against the backdrop of the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic, Aurora and 16-year-old Hildegart go to the editorial office of a newspaper to seek the publication of a piece on female sexuality by Hildegart, needing to convince the editor, Guzmán, that it was actually written by the teenager.

Hildegart is introduced to Socialist activist Abel Vilella who shows a keen interest in her. Hildegart and Aurora live in a well-off apartment together with maid Macarena while Hildegart continues her training. Due to her successful writing, Hildegart also corresponds with Havelock Ellis. Macarena provides Aurora with a gun due to the menace posed by misogynistic graffiti appearing on the wall of the staircase landing and reveals to Hildegart that Aurora had only loved a man (as a son) in her whole life, her nephew Pepe, of whom Hildegart knows nothing. Hildegart and Abel meet again during a meeting of socialists in which Hildegart delivers an impassioned speech supporting women rights and participation in politics as well as during a signing session of her book, after which Hildegart falls for Abel. As Hildegart secretly confesses her infatuation with Abel to Macarena, Aurora overhears from behind the door and plots to separate the two young love birds, determined not to let Hildegart stray away from her purpose.

Aurora receives a letter of invitation to a piano concert by her nephew and music prodigy Pepe Arriola, who was also groomed by Aurora and was separated from her before she decided to embark on Project Hildegart. She meets him after the concert backstage and finds out that she was not actually invited by him, and the whole thing was a ruse so Hildegart could have a date with Abel free from the maternal surveillance. Aurora invites Abel to dinner, and Abel and Hildegart tell her about their disenchantment with the Socialist party ranks and their interest in the positions of the Federal Party, which Aurora deems to boast an anarchist stance. Police agents break into the room and arrest Abel on charges of being a serial rapist and feminicide. To Hildegart's despair, Macarena is replaced by another maid. It is eventually revealed to Hildegart that Aurora had blackmailed Macarena into framing Abel for the crimes that were actually committed by Macarena's husband.

Hildegart visits Macarena's humble residence and threatens to frame her as an accomplice to the crimes unless she clears Abel's name of her own volition. With help from Guzmán, Hildegart manages to get a travel ticket to London and convinces Abel to go with her. During a family dinner, Aurora tells her mother that she is a woman free from anyone, says good night and leaves the room. Aurora acknowledges that Project Hildegart has failed, gets the gun, goes to Hildegart's bedroom and shoots her daughter through the crotch, through the chest, and finally, through the forehead. Hildegart's dead body is paraded in a glass casket through the streets of Madrid under the twilight.

Cast

[edit]

Production

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Photograph of a room. The wall is covered in portraits of the same size and dark wood. There are old-style chairs.
Ateneo de Madrid was the location for the Socialist meetings.
Photograph of 4 6-floor façades by a two-way street. 4 white people in autumn clothes walk on the pavement.
The start of calle Alcalá from Puerta del Sol is the location of the funeral parade. Photo from 2010.

The screenplay was written by Eduard Sola and Clara Roquet.[n. 1][8] An Amazon MGM Studios, Elastica, and Avalon production,[9] the project was disclosed by Amazon Prime Video at the 'Prime Video Presents España' event in April 2023.[10] The platform pitched the film as a mix of "historical drama, romance, thriller and a touch of true crime".[11] Main cast additions including Najwa Nimri, Alba Planas, Patrick Criado, Aixa Villagrán and Pepe Viyuela were announced on 14 June 2023.[4] Shooting had already begun by July 2023.[12] Production wrapped on 19 August 2023.[13] Shooting locations in Madrid included the Congress, Puerta del Sol, and Ateneo de Madrid.[13]

Release

[edit]

Selected for a special screening in the official selection of the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival,[14] The Red Virgin was presented on 22 September 2024.[15] The film was released theatrically in Spain on 27 September 2024 by Elastica.[16][17][18]

Reception

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Juan Pando [es] of Fotogramas rated the film 5 out of 5 stars, highlighting Najwa Nimri as "she alone fills the whole film" as the best thing about it.[5]

Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas gave the film 75 points ('good'), mentioning the visual allegories, the care with the mise-en-scène and the quality of the performances as the film's best.[19]

Rubén Romero Santos of Cinemanía rated the film 3½ out of 5 stars, writing that the film "dialogues with the present through the director's usual aestheticizing gaze", carrying in the ending "one of the best and most ambitious scenes of the year".[20]

Javier Ocaña of El País wrote that the film "is artistically impeccable in all areas" and brings in "the sum of great production and an elegant mise-en-scène".[21]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2024
 30th Forqué Awards Best Actress in a Film Najwa Nimri Pending [22]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The tortuous relationship between Aurora and Hildegart was previously dealt with in several works of fiction,[6] including the feature film My Daughter Hildegart (1977) directed by Fernando Fernán Gómez (starring Amparo Soler Leal and Carmen Roldán) and the short film The Red Virgin (2011) directed by Sheyla Pye (starring Maribel Verdú and Ivana Baquero).[7]

References

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  1. ^ @AmazonMGMStudio (20 June 2024). "She was meant to be someone important. #TheRedVirgin, based on the real story of Hildegart Rodríguez, coming soon to theaters" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "La nueva película de Paula Ortiz con Najwa Nimri ya tiene mes de estreno". Heraldo de Aragón. 20 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b Pozo, José Carlos (14 June 2023). "Najwa Nimri y Alba Planas protagonizarán Hildegart, la nueva película de Prime Video basada en hechos reales". HobbyConsolas.
  4. ^ a b c "Najwa Nimri y Alba Planas protagonizarán la "Hildegart" de Paula Ortiz". Infobae. 14 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b Pando, Juan (22 September 2024). "Crítica de 'La virgen roja': una superlativa Najwa Nimri deslumbra en el cuento gótico de Paula Ortiz, su mejor película hasta la fecha". Fotogramas.
  6. ^ "Najwa Nimri y Alba Planas protagonizarán 'Hildegart', la película de Paula Ortiz sobre Hildegart Rodríguez". Cine con Ñ. 14 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Aurora Rodríguez Carballeira: versiones cinematográficas de la madre de Frankenstein". Cine con Ñ. 14 October 2020.
  8. ^ Serna Box, Cynthia (14 June 2023). "Nawja Nimri y Alba Planas protagonizarán 'Hildegart', la película de Paula Ortiz sobre la niña prodigio de la España de los años 30". Infobae.
  9. ^ "Paula Ortiz dirigirá a Nawja Nimri y Alba Planas en 'Hildegart', nuevo largometraje original de Prime Video". Audiovisual451. 14 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Amazon anuncia 'Hildegart', la película de Paula Ortiz basada en el caso real de "la mujer del futuro"". El Español. 25 April 2023.
  11. ^ Paniagua, Francisco (25 April 2023). "Paula Ortiz rodará una película sobre la trágica historia de la 'hija perfecta' Hildegart". Heraldo de Aragón.
  12. ^ Chico, Fran (10 July 2023). "Primer vistazo al provocador look de Najwa Nimri en 'Hildegart', la nueva película de Paula Ortiz". Fotogramas.
  13. ^ a b Sandoval, Pablo (23 August 2023). "Sexual Revolution Pioneer Tale 'Hildegart' Wraps Production for Amazon Studios (Exclusive)". Variety.
  14. ^ Hopewell, John; Lang, Jamie (12 July 2024). "San Sebastian Unveils Spanish Titles, Led by an Ester Expósito Chiller, New Pics From Albert Serra, Iciar Bollaín, Pilar Palomero". Variety.
  15. ^ "Imágenes de la película "La virgen roja"". ABC. 22 September 2024.
  16. ^ Miró, Francesc (20 June 2024). "Elastica estrenará en cines 'La virgen roja' de Paula Ortiz antes de su llegada a Prime Video". Kinótico.
  17. ^ Pérez, Laura (9 July 2024). "Prime Video anuncia sus próximas series españolas y confirma la ¡temporada 3! de 'Reina Roja' antes de estrenar la segunda". vertele! – via eldiario.es.
  18. ^ Donat, Begoña (29 September 2024). "Paula Ortiz, directora de La virgen roja: «Los hijos no son nuestros, sino del mundo»". Telva.
  19. ^ Hernández Luján, Raquel (23 September 2024). "Crítica de La virgen roja: Paula Ortiz ficciona la increíble historia de Hildegart Rodríguez". HobbyConsolas.
  20. ^ Romero Santos, Rubén (26 September 2024). "Crítica de 'La virgen roja': una Ortiz más manifiestamente feminista que nunca". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  21. ^ Ocaña, Javier (27 September 2024). "'La virgen roja': Paula Ortiz retrata con poderío a la madre y la hija más fascinantes de la historia española". El País.
  22. ^ "Premios Forqué 2024: 'La infiltrada', 'La estrella azul' y 'Querer' lideran las nominaciones de la 30 edición". Cinemanía. 7 November 2024 – via 20minutos.es.


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