La Spagnola (2001) ( The Spanish Woman )

La Spagnola (2001) (DVD) (*)

~~$28.99~~ $22.97

Original Title: The Spanish Woman
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Australian Film Institute
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
87 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Filmographies
Interactive Menu
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2001 and produced in:
Australia ( Australia, New Zealand )

Directed By:
Steve Jacobs

Written By:
Anna Maria Monticelli

Actors:
Lola Marceli ..... Lola
Alice Ansara ..... Lucia
Lourdes Bartolomé ..... Manola
Silvio Ofria ..... Bruno
Simon Palomares ..... Ricardo
Helen Thomson ..... Wendy
Gabriella Maselli ..... Maria
Alex Dimitriades ..... Stefano
Armida Croccola ..... Maria's Mother
Steve Rodgers ..... Teacher
Tony Barry ..... Doctor
Bogdan Koca ..... Pol.ish Patient
Nino La Giudice ..... Renato
John Barresi ..... Antonio
Nico Gazzana ..... Italian patient

Synopsis:

A coming-of-age tale set in the 1960s, La Spagnola is the first feature from Australian actor Steve Jacobs. Using a mixture of Spanish and Italian, the film chronicles a group of immigrants from the Mediterranean who have arrived in Australia to settle in communities out of the way of mainstream society. Lucia (Alice Ansala) lives with her mother Lola (Lola Marceli) next to an oil refinery after her father Ricardo (Simon Palomare) has abandoned them for the blonde, Australian Wendy (Helen Thomson). Lucia resents her mother for her father's absence, and they are left nearly broke after he neglects to give them money. Lola finds herself pregnant by Ricardo later and decides to self-induce an abortion with a knitting needle. Lucia begins to earn money as a doctor's interpreter, even though he is unaware of the differences in languages that exist. In an unforeseen event, Ricardo is killed in an accident. He bequeaths everything to his new girlfriend, leaving Lucia and Lola to fend for themselves in their offbeat, unpredictable society. The film was written by sometime actress Anna-Maria Monticelli.

LA SPAGNOLA is a comical story of begrudged love and revenge set in a dusty hot Australian industrial town. It is 1960 and a small migrant community lives on the edge of the desolate interior struggling to forge a life in this strange, inhospitable land.
A dust storm mysteriously arrives as Lola (Lola Marceli) a fiery Spanish woman, throws herself on the ground screaming. Her husband Ricardo (Simon Palomares) calmly steps over her, and with the family savings, heads for freedom with his Australian mistress. Lola and her teenage daughter Lucia (Alice Ansara) watch in disbelief as he disappears into the swirling dust, never to return.
With the family savings, Ricardo buys a new car and enjoys the good life with his mistress, while Lola and Lucia go hungry. Desperate and destitute in a country she doesn't like or understand, Lola's quest for revenge and justice begins.

Lola, a hot-blooded Spaniard, is deserted by her husband for a cool and calculating Aussie blonde. Lola is pregnant again but she and their daughter Lucia are left to starve while Ricardo spends all their savings on a sleek new set of wheels for his mistress. When he dies unexpectedly the family fortune, one flash car, remains with the mistress. Despite all his betrayals, Lucia sides with her father. Desperate and destitute in a country she doesn't like or understand, Lola's quest for revenge begins. Caught in the tempests of begrudging love, revenge, sibling rivalry, jealousy and passion, fourteen year old Lucia must find the strength to survive on her own terms. Aided to break free of her mother by her eccentric Aunt Manolo she struggles to find her own identity and her own quest for justice puts her on a collision course with her mother.

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 13 August, 2011.