The Heiresses (2018 film)

Chela and Chiquita have been a couple for over 30 years but their funds are running out. They start selling the furniture and Chela, fearing disgrace, refuses money from friends. When Chiquita gets notice to report to the city jail, charged with seeking a loan fraudulently, Chela is suddenly on her own. Telling people Chiquita has gone for a stay by the sea, she carries on selling the house contents. Picuta, an elderly lady living close by, asks if Chela will drive her to visit friends who meet for cards and gossip. It was Chiquita who drove their venerable Mercedes, since Chela has no licence, but she obliges her neighbour, who forces cash on her to pay for the fuel. This develops into an informal taxi service for Picuta's friends.

On one of her trips meets the younger vivacious Angy, who begs her to drive out on the motorway to Itauguá, where her mother is being treated. Though Chela has never been on a motorway, she makes the effort. Angy takes an interest in the lonely older woman, telling her stories of her very varied love life. But the friendship takes a chill when Angy jumps out of the car to join a passing boyfriend. Chela also worries that Chiquita in the women's prison is too interested in the other inmates.

Chauffeuring Picuta and some of her friends to a funeral, she meets Angy again and late that night the two go back to Chela's house to share a bottle of wine. When Angy offers herself, Chela hides in the toilet. Emerging later to find Angy gone, she boozily drives round the darkened city looking for her. A few days later Chiquita is released, but Chela is disoriented by the stresses she has been under and the sudden changes she has faced. In the morning Chiquita finds both Chela and the car missing.

• Ana Brun as Chela
• Margarita Irún as Chiquita
• Ana Ivanova as Angy
• María Martins as Pituca
• Alicia Guerra as Carmela
• Yverá Zayas as a Singer

It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. At Berlin Ana Brun won the Silver Bear for Best Actress and Marcelo Martinessi won the Silver Bear 'Alfred Bauer' award to a film that 'opens new perspectives on cinematic art'.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/global/berlin-film-festival-robert-pattinson-1202664442/ |title=Berlin Film Festival Fleshes Out Competition Lineup |work=Variety |date=15 January 2018 |access-date=17 January 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_40852.html |title=Press Releases: 68th Berlinale |date=15 January 2018 |access-date=16 January 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117011732/https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_40852.html |archive-date=17 January 2018 }} The film was also selected as the Paraguayan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards,{{cite web |url=https://www.academiadecinepy.com/noticias/2018/9/10/las-herederas-ser-nuestra-representante-en-los-premios-oscar-goya-y-ariel-2019 |title="Las Herederas" será nuestra representante en los Premios Oscar, Goya y Ariel 2019 |work=Academia de Cine del Paraguay |date=10 September 2018 |access-date=10 September 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-paraguay-selects-heiresses-foreign-language-category-1141986 |title=Oscars: Paraguay Selects 'The Heiresses' for Foreign-Language Category |work=The Hollywood Reporter |first= Agustin |last=Mango |date=10 September 2018 |access-date=10 September 2018}} for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 33rd Goya Awards, and for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 61st Ariel Awards. It also won a Best Directing Award at the 2019 Premios Fenix {{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.com.py/espectaculos/cine-y-tv/martinessi-gana-premio-fenix-al-mejor-director-1757490.html|title=Martinessi gana premio Fénix al mejor director - Cine y TV - ABC Color|website=www.abc.com.py}} and received the Best Actress and Best First Film Awards at the 2019 Premios Platino.{{Cite web|url=https://www.programaibermedia.com/las-herederas-y-pajaros-de-verano-son-las-dos-triunfadoras-de-ibermedia-en-los-premios-platino-2/|title='Las herederas' y 'Pájaros de verano' son las dos triunfadoras de Ibermedia en los Premios Platino|date=13 May 2019}}

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-heiresses |title=The Heiresses Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=26 February 2018}}

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Heiresses holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by a standout performance from Ana Brun, The Heiresses takes a thoroughly compelling look at lives little explored by mainstream cinema."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_heiresses|title=The Heiresses (2018)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}

• List of submissions to the 91st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Paraguayan submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|7875464|The Heiresses}}

{{Sydney Film Prize}}

{{Paraguayan submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film}}

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Category:2018 films

Category:2018 drama films

Category:2018 LGBTQ-related films

Category:2010s LGBTQ-related drama films

Category:2010s Paraguayan films

Category:2010s Spanish-language films

Category:Paraguayan drama films

Category:Paraguayan LGBTQ-related films

Category:Spanish-language drama films