Canadian Premiere
Yarisa and Sara may be closer than most mothers and daughters, though they exist in totally different spheres of society. Yarisa is the maid for Sara’s wealthy family in the Dominican Republic—a family that, besides Sara, doesn’t see Yarisa as anything more than someone to clean the floors, polish the glassware, and take out the trash. Co-directors Silvina Schnicer and Ulises Porra Guardiola first introduce audiences to this story as one of innocence, dependence, and a deep love much stronger than any blood-relation can ever guarantee.
Things take a dark turn, however, when Yarisa makes an effort to reconnect with her own daughter, a girl around Sara’s age. When tragedy strikes, Yarisa must reevaluate her relationship with the family to whom she has given her heart and soul, and the girl she loves as much as her own child. With striking performances from the two outstanding leads, Carajita presents an unwavering consideration of class relations, unconditional love, and forgiveness.
Cecile Van Welie, Magnolia Núñez, Adelanny Padilla, Genesis Buret, Richard Douglas, Javier Hermida
Dominican Republic/Argentina
2021
In Spanish with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Richest Woman in the World
Isabelle Huppert plays cosmetics CEO Marianne in this teasingly ambivalent satire inspired by the Bettancourt Affair, when L'Oreal heir Francoise Bettancourt scandalized France by frittering away her fortune on a notorious celebrity photographer.
The Python Hunt
Strange but true: the Florida Everglades are overrun with unwanted visitors. Not tourists, but invasive Burmese pythons decimating the local critters. The state's solution: an annual contest: $10 000 to whomever bags the most snakes in ten days.
Holy Days
After his mom passes, Brian (Elijah Tamati) is comforted by Sisters Agnes, Luke and Mary Clare (Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes and Jacki Weaver, respectively). The quirky quartet hit the road to save their convent from being sold to a property developer.
Mārama
Set in North Yorkshire, 1859, this creepy gothic horror plays like The Piano in reverse: a young Maori woman takes up a position as a governess to a wealthy whaler's child, but finds colonial skeletons in his closets.
Credits
Executive Producer
Ulla Prida
Producer
Alexandra Guerrero, Ulla Prida
Screenwriter
Ulla Prida, Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra
Cinematography
Ivan Gierasinchuk, Sergio Armstrong
Editor
Delfina Castagnino
Production Design
Claudia Madera
Original Music
Andrés Rodríguez
Directors
Photo by Juan Naharro
Silvina Schnicer
Silvina Schnicer (Argentina) and Ulises Porra Guardiola (Spain) are both scriptwriters and directors. Together, they directed Tigre (2017), which premiered at TIFF and screened at San Sebastian Film Festival’s New Directors. Carajita, their second feature film, premiered at the 2021 San Sebastian Film Festival’s New Directors.
Filmography: Tigre (2017)
Photo by Juan Naharro
Ulises Porra Guardiola
Silvina Schnicer (Argentina) and Ulises Porra Guardiola (Spain) are both scriptwriters and directors. Together, they directed Tigre (2017), which premiered at TIFF and screened at San Sebastian Film Festival’s New Directors. Carajita, their second feature film, premiered at the 2021 San Sebastian Film Festival’s New Directors.
Filmography: Tigre (2017)