The Heiresses

  • Marcelo Martinessi
  • Paraguay, Germany, Brazil, Uruguay, Norway, France
  • 2017
  • 98'
  • Las Herederas

Chela and Chiquita, both descended from wealthy families in Asunción, Paraguay, have been together for over 30 years. As their financial situation worsens, they begin selling off their inheritance. When debts lead to Chiquita’s imprisonment, Chela is forced to face a new reality, alone. Driving for the first time in years, she begins to provide a local taxi service to a group of elderly wealthy ladies and soon encounters much younger Angy with whom she forges a fresh new connection. She slowly begins to break out of her shell, embarking on her own personal, intimate journey. The film won four awards at Berlinale – two Silver Bears, FIPRESCI Award and Teddy Reader’s Award.

Subtitles: HR, EN

Marcelo Martinessi

He studied film at the London Film School. His shorts have screened at Berlinale and Clermont-Ferrand. He was an executive director of Paraguay’s first public television station from 2010 up to the coup d’état in 2012. His short film The Lost Voice won Best Short at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival. This is his feature debut.

The Heiresses

Director
Marcelo Martinessi
Screenplay
Marcelo Martinessi
Cast
Ana Brun, Margarita Irún, Ana Ivanova, Nilda Gonzalez, María Martins, Alicia Guerra, Yverá Zayas
DOP
Luis Armando Arteaga
Editing
Fernando Epstein
Producer
Sebastián Peña Escobar, Marcelo Martinessi, Agustina Chiarino Voulminot, Fernando Epstein, Christoph Friedel, Claudia Steffen, Julia Murat, Hilde Berg, Marina Perales, Xavier Rocher
Production
La Babosa Cine, Mutante Cine, Pandora Film Produktion, Esquina Filmes, Norsk Filmproduksjon, La Fábrica Nocturna
Festivals & Awards
Berlinale 2018 – Silver Bear for Best Actress, Silver Bear – Alfred Bauer Award, FIPRESCI Award, Teddy Reader’s Award