Oriana (Movie)
Encyclopedia
Oriana is a 1985 Fina Torres
film set in a Venezuelan hacienda or ranch. Written by Antoine Lacomblez and Torres herself, this drama tells the story of Maria, a woman that returns to the house where she spent a short time as a girl to discover some secrets about her aunt, the title character, who died and left the property to her.
The film won the Caméra d'Or Prize
at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival
as the best first feature. It was Fina Torres first feature movie and won many awards at the time.
, a Venezuelan woman returns to Venezuela
from France
when she learns that her aunt Oriana has died and willed her a crumbling and remote Venezuelan hacienda where Maria spent a short time as a girl just entering puberty. Maria goes to the hacienda, a fine, decaying old house in a tropical jungle at the edge of the sea, to prepare the place for sale; while visiting the house, Maria starts wandering through the halls and rooms and she begin to remember her visit years before. While going through her aunt's papers, she also start to find some clues to her aunt's behaviour. Maria is haunted by flashbacks to her childhood, when she spent several months at the hacienda in the company of only the beautiful and mysterious Oriana and Fidelia, a quarrelsome old retainer who constantly hints at terrible events that are best forgotten. In flashbacks, the film show the young Maria trying to understand the quiet but strange atmosphere that surrounds the place while sorting out why Oriana never leaves the hacienda and what secret may be in Oriana's past.
The young Maria, as she learns things, imagines her aunt's youth, cruel father, and first love. After these reveries within reveries, Maria, now a grown woman, eventually makes one more discovery by connecting some issues, finding evidence that someone never seen may also be living in the vicinity. After that, Maria decides not to sell the house.
love story
, probably for the elements of the storyline but also for the narrative used on it and the camera work that creates a dark atmosphere through it. The film was first showed in the Toronto Film Festival on September 14, 1985. Later, it was presented in the New York Film Festival
where it received a general warm and positive review. Nonetheless, there were critics that didn't find the film quite likeable and complained about the slow rhythm and the structure of it, that is at some point hard to follow. The New York Times, considered the film "a pretty movie but not a very engaging one".
. It also won Best Film and Best Screenplay in the Cartagena Film Festival
. Other awards include Best Film in the Chicago International Film Festival
.
Fina Torres
Fina Torres is a Venezuelan film director. Born in Caracas, she became known by winning la Caméra d'Or award at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival with her directorial debut film, Oriana. She studied design, photography and journalism in Venezuela and later on film at the Institut des hautes études...
film set in a Venezuelan hacienda or ranch. Written by Antoine Lacomblez and Torres herself, this drama tells the story of Maria, a woman that returns to the house where she spent a short time as a girl to discover some secrets about her aunt, the title character, who died and left the property to her.
The film won the Caméra d'Or Prize
Caméra d'Or
The Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections ....
at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival
1985 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Miloš Forman *Claude Imbert *Edwin Zbonek *Francis Veber *Jorge Amado *Mauro Bolognini *Michel Perez *Mo Rothmann *Néstor Almendros *Sarah Miles...
as the best first feature. It was Fina Torres first feature movie and won many awards at the time.
Synopsis
MariaMaria
Maria is a female given name in many diverse cultures, including Mexican, African, Arab, Armenian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Italian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Romanian, Pakistani, Afghan, Serbian, Swedish, Spanish.In Roman Empire the...
, a Venezuelan woman returns to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
when she learns that her aunt Oriana has died and willed her a crumbling and remote Venezuelan hacienda where Maria spent a short time as a girl just entering puberty. Maria goes to the hacienda, a fine, decaying old house in a tropical jungle at the edge of the sea, to prepare the place for sale; while visiting the house, Maria starts wandering through the halls and rooms and she begin to remember her visit years before. While going through her aunt's papers, she also start to find some clues to her aunt's behaviour. Maria is haunted by flashbacks to her childhood, when she spent several months at the hacienda in the company of only the beautiful and mysterious Oriana and Fidelia, a quarrelsome old retainer who constantly hints at terrible events that are best forgotten. In flashbacks, the film show the young Maria trying to understand the quiet but strange atmosphere that surrounds the place while sorting out why Oriana never leaves the hacienda and what secret may be in Oriana's past.
The young Maria, as she learns things, imagines her aunt's youth, cruel father, and first love. After these reveries within reveries, Maria, now a grown woman, eventually makes one more discovery by connecting some issues, finding evidence that someone never seen may also be living in the vicinity. After that, Maria decides not to sell the house.
Cast
- Doris WellsDoris WellsDoris Marina Buonafina, better known as Doris Wells was a talented Venezuelan actress, writer, and director...
- Oriana - Daniela Silverio - Adult Maria
- Maya Oloe - Maria, adolescent
- Mirtha Borges - Fidelia
- Rafael Briceño - Padre
- Philippe Rouleau - George
- Claudia Venturini - Oriana, adolescent
- Hannah Caminos - Oriana, child
Distribution
The film was limited released in 1985, but gained popular attention after its victory at the Cannes Film Festival. As for 2006, Facets Multimedia Distribution is the official distributor of the film in the USA for all media.Reception
The film is generally referred to as a Venezuelan gothicGothic fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...
love story
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
, probably for the elements of the storyline but also for the narrative used on it and the camera work that creates a dark atmosphere through it. The film was first showed in the Toronto Film Festival on September 14, 1985. Later, it was presented in the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
where it received a general warm and positive review. Nonetheless, there were critics that didn't find the film quite likeable and complained about the slow rhythm and the structure of it, that is at some point hard to follow. The New York Times, considered the film "a pretty movie but not a very engaging one".
Awards
The film won the Camera D'Or in the 1985 Cannes Film Festival1985 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Miloš Forman *Claude Imbert *Edwin Zbonek *Francis Veber *Jorge Amado *Mauro Bolognini *Michel Perez *Mo Rothmann *Néstor Almendros *Sarah Miles...
. It also won Best Film and Best Screenplay in the Cartagena Film Festival
Cartagena Film Festival
The Cartagena Film Festival, or Festival Internacional de Cine y T.V. de Cartagena de Indias. is a Colombian film festival which focuses on the promotion of Colombian television programs, Latin American films, and videos...
. Other awards include Best Film in the Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
.