Horizons - Awarded Films 2002 / Juana la Loca / Spain 2001
Juana the Mad, daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon, wife if Philip the Fair, mother of Charles V, was held under "house arrest" for 47 years, unable to assume the crown she inherited from her mother Isabel the Catholic, Queen of Castille. Her isolation was the result of a fiery and passionate relationship she could not work out with her husband. Best Actress Award at the San Sebastian IFF 2001.
Infanta Juana, daughter of Isabel the Catholic and Ferdinand of Aragon, sets sail for Flanders where, at the royal court in Brussels, she is to fulfil her political destiny (according to the will of God and her mother) by marrying Philip the Fair. Juana thinks of her marriage as a “painful and awful burden.” But the first encounter with her intended turns everything around. As soon as their eyes meet there is an uncontrollable attraction and desire between them, and they give themselves up to their feelings. But fate has something else in store for them. In 1504 Queen Isabel dies and Juana becomes the Queen of Castille and heir to the crown of Aragon. This event not only stirs up a political struggle, but a far more painful one as well – a battle in the marriage bed. Just as Juana is about to tell Philip the terrible news she discovers that he has been unfaithful. The fit of pain and disappointment she suffers provokes, for the first time, the appellation “mad” to fall from her husband´s lips. The tension between them escalates until it penetrales the political sphere as well. Philip then decides to discredit Juana’s ability to govern in an attempt to take power…. Best Actress Award at the San Sebastian IFF 2001
117 min / Black & white, 35 mm
Director Vicente Aranda
/ Screenplay Vicente Aranda, Antonio Larreta
/ Dir. of Photography Paco Femenia
/ Music José Nieto
/ Editor Teresa Font
/ Producer Enrique Cerezo
/ Production Enrique Cerezo , P.C.
/ Cast Pilar López de Ayala, Daniele Liotti, Manuela Arcuri, Eloy Azorín, Rosana Pastor
Vincente Aranda (b. 1926, Barcelona) lived in Venezuela from 1952 to 1959, and after returning home applied for film school at Madrid’s IIEC and Paris’ IDHEC. He settled in Barcelona and founded his own production company; he is also cofounder of the Escuela de Barcelona film school. In 1964 he debuted as a director (co-dir. Román Gubern) with Brilliant Future (Brillante porvenir). Filmography (selected): Left-Handed Fate (Fata Morgana, 1966), The Cruel Ones (Las crueles – El cadáver exquisito, 1968), The Blood Spattered Bride (La novia ensangrentada, 1972), Clara es el precio (1974), I Want to Be a Woman (Cambio de sexo, 1976), Girl with the Golden Panties (La muchacha de las bragas de oro, 1979), Murder in the Central Committee (Asesinato en el Comité Central, 1981), Fanny Straw-Top (Fanny “Pelopaja”, 1983), Time of Silence (Tiempo de silencio, 1985), Run for Your Life (El lute: camina o revienta, 1987), El lute II: ma?ana seré libre, (1988), If They Tell You I Fell (Si te dicen que caí, 1989), Lovers (Amantes, 1990), The Bilingual Lover (El amante bilingüe, 1992), Intruder (Intruso, 1993), Turkish Passion (La pasión turca, 1994), Freedomfighters (Libertarias, 1996), The Naked Eye (La mirada del otro, 1998), Jealousy (Celos, 1999), Mad Love (Juana la Loca, 2001). Pilar López de Ayala won the GOYA 2OO2 Awards for best actress for her role in Mad Love. Goya awards also went to the film´s set, make-up and costume designers.
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