The Heiresses

It's hard to believe this is Marcelo Martinessi's first feature. Which he also wrote. It is a beautifully crafted film which delicately tells the tale of Chela and her long term partner Chiquita. Chela is played by Ana Brun who gives an amazingly real performance. We follow her struggles as she tries to cling on to her quite well off life in Asuncion, Paraguay - during which her partner gets incarcerated. Chela faces uncertainty, poverty and loneliness. But she doesn't tell us this at any point. The audience is able to get a feel of Chela's struggles and her new found love for self exploration, simply from the wonderful performance from Ana Brun, and Martinessi's directing. Her world has been turned upside down, and she must make some big decisions. There is also some subtext surrounding class, desires, wealth and the social environment of Paraguay, but at it's heart, it is all about Chela. This film deserves to be seen. 8.2/10