La Amiga
Encyclopedia
The Girlfriend is a 1988
Argentine drama film
directed by Jeanine Meerapfel
. The film was written by Osvaldo Bayer
and Alcides Chiesa and was produced jointly with Germany. The film starred Liv Ullman, Cipe Lincovsky and Federico Luppi.
, circa 1978. They share the grief over the disappearance of their eldest son Carlos (Gonzalo Arguimbau), with María's lifelong friend Raquel Kessler (Cipe Lincovsky), a feisty Jewish girl whose cultural identity made her a target to some; but all the more endearing to María, her only gentile childhood friend. "Married" to the theatre, in which she became prominent, Raquel's career has been protected from anti-Semitic attacks by her lover Diego (Victor Laplace), an influential public television executive who skillfully maintains a balance between his love for the opinionated Raquel and the need to placate the repressive mindset
prevalent in that era's regime
.
María's relentless search for her son strains her relationship with both her husband and Raquel, who give up hope after lengthy and costly attempts to find him. Raquel's own Jewish identity and fondness for roles "discouraged" by the dictatorship such as Antigone
cause her serious problems, as well, and lead to her exile in Berlin
. María, who had always led a quiet life, earns the growing respect of her fellow Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, women from all walks of life united by their search for their detained sons and daughters (most of whom were known by the dictatorship to be uninvolved in political violence
). This mission becomes her life's passion and eventually leads her to Berlin, where a German Argentine exile tells her of his having seen Carlos near death at one of the many secret government detention centers, an anecdote rejected by the grieving María, who returns to Buenos Aires driven to find her son. Raquel herself returns to Argentina following democratic elections
in 1983, finding that Diego is unhappily married and that María will never accept the death of her son as fact. Bewildered, Raquel nearly gives up on María; finding instead that the bonds of a lifelong friendship endure.
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
Argentine drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Jeanine Meerapfel
Jeanine Meerapfel
Jeanine Meerapfel is a German film director and screenwriter. She has directed 17 films since 1966. In 1984, she was a member of the jury at the 34th Berlin International Film Festival...
. The film was written by Osvaldo Bayer
Osvaldo Bayer
Osvaldo Bayer is a journalist and scriptwriter. He lives in Buenos Aires, and in Linz Am Rhine, Germany, where he went into exile during the "National Reorganization Process" dictatorship ....
and Alcides Chiesa and was produced jointly with Germany. The film starred Liv Ullman, Cipe Lincovsky and Federico Luppi.
Summary
María and Pancho (Liv Ullman and Federico Luppi) are a happily married couple in a quiet, working-class suburb south of Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, circa 1978. They share the grief over the disappearance of their eldest son Carlos (Gonzalo Arguimbau), with María's lifelong friend Raquel Kessler (Cipe Lincovsky), a feisty Jewish girl whose cultural identity made her a target to some; but all the more endearing to María, her only gentile childhood friend. "Married" to the theatre, in which she became prominent, Raquel's career has been protected from anti-Semitic attacks by her lover Diego (Victor Laplace), an influential public television executive who skillfully maintains a balance between his love for the opinionated Raquel and the need to placate the repressive mindset
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
prevalent in that era's regime
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
.
María's relentless search for her son strains her relationship with both her husband and Raquel, who give up hope after lengthy and costly attempts to find him. Raquel's own Jewish identity and fondness for roles "discouraged" by the dictatorship such as Antigone
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
cause her serious problems, as well, and lead to her exile in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. María, who had always led a quiet life, earns the growing respect of her fellow Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, women from all walks of life united by their search for their detained sons and daughters (most of whom were known by the dictatorship to be uninvolved in political violence
Political violence
Political violence is a common means used by people and governments around the world to achieve political goals. Many groups and individuals believe that their political systems will never respond to their political demands. As a result they believe that violence is not only justified but also...
). This mission becomes her life's passion and eventually leads her to Berlin, where a German Argentine exile tells her of his having seen Carlos near death at one of the many secret government detention centers, an anecdote rejected by the grieving María, who returns to Buenos Aires driven to find her son. Raquel herself returns to Argentina following democratic elections
Argentine general election, 1983
The Argentine general election of 1983 was held on 30 October and marked the return of Democracy after the 1976's dictatorship self-known as National Reorganization Process...
in 1983, finding that Diego is unhappily married and that María will never accept the death of her son as fact. Bewildered, Raquel nearly gives up on María; finding instead that the bonds of a lifelong friendship endure.
Cast
- Liv UllmannLiv UllmannLiv Johanne Ullmann is a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the "muses" of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman...
... María - Cipe Lincovsky ... Raquel Kessler
- Federico Luppi ... Pancho
- Víctor LaplaceVíctor LaplaceVíctor Laplace is an acclaimed Argentine film actor. He has appeared in over 80 films since 1970, such as Eva Perón and Un Amor en Moisés Ville in 2001, as well as extensive local and international theatre credits.-Filmography:#Detrás del sol, más cielo - Antón#Angelelli, la...
... Diego - Lito CruzLito CruzLito Cruz is a prominent Argentine stage director and motion picture actor.-Life and work:Lito was born Oscar Alberto Cruz in the working-class La Plata suburb of Berisso in 1941, and began performing in local theatres at the age of 15. Graduating from a La Plata secondary school, he continued to...
... Tito, the police lieutenant - Nicolás Frei ... Commando squad leader
- Harry BaerHarry BaerHarry Baer is a German actor, producer and author. Notable for his work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder.-Life:...
... Raquel's friend in Berlin - Gregor Hansen ... Witness to Carlos' torture
- Gonzalo Arguimbau ... Carlos
- Fernán MirásFernán MirásFernán Mirás is an Argentine film and television actor. He is sometimes credited as Fernando Mirás.-Filmography :* Tango feroz * Buenos Aires Vice Versa * Claim...
... Pedro - Max Berliner ...Cemetery caretaker
- Beatriz Thibaudin ... Unsympathetic neighbor
- Bárbara MujicaBarbara MujicaBarbara Mujica is an American novelist, short story writer and critic.Her latest novels are Sister Teresa , based on the life of Saint Teresa of Ávila, and Frida, based on the life of Frida Kahlo...
... Maria's dubbed, Spanish-language voice