''Libertarias'' (English: ''Libertarians'') is a Spanish historical drama made in 1996. It was written and directed by

Vicente Aranda Vicente Aranda Ezquerra (; 9 November 1926 – 26 May 2015) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer. Due to his refined and personal style, he was one of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers. He started as a founding member ...

. In 1936, Maria (

Ariadna Gil Ariadna Gil Giner (; born 23 January 1969) is a Spanish actress. She is known for her performances in films such as ''Belle Époque'' (for which she won the Goya Award for Best Actress), ''Black Tears'' and ''Pan's Labyrinth''. Career Film dire ...

), a young nun is recruited by Pilar (

Ana Belén María del Pilar Cuesta Acosta (born 27 May 1951, Madrid), known professionally as Ana Belén, is a Spanish actress and singer. Life/career Born in 1951, Ana Belén is the oldest of three children. Her father was a cook in Hotel Palace, and ...

), a militant feminist, into an anarchist militia following the onset of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

. Guided by the older woman, Maria is exposed to the realities of war and revolution, and comes to question her former, sheltered life.

Plot summary

The movie is set in 1936 in Barcelona in the midst of the Spanish Revolution and

. Militia women Pilar (

) and Floren (

Victoria Abril Victoria Mérida Rojas (born 4 July 1959), better known as Victoria Abril, is a Spanish film actress and singer based in France. She is possibly best known to international audiences for her performance in the film ''Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!'' by ...

) are joined by former prostitute Charo (

Loles León María Dolores León Rodríguez (born 1 August 1950), better known as Loles León, is a Spanish actress. Career León travelled to Madrid to start a career as an actress, where she met Pedro Almodóvar during La Movida Madrileña. She has pl ...

) and former nun Maria (

), who had hidden in a brothel to escape revolutionary violence against clergy. The film opens with scenes of working class militants demolishing and burning religious icons, as they shout "down with Capitalism!" and "long live the libertarian revolution!" While fully immersed in the overall enthusiasm of revolutionary Spain, Pilar and friends find themselves fighting against deep

gender inequality Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which men and women are not treated equally. The treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology, or cultural norms prevalent in the society. Some of these distinctions are empi ...

which complicates their efforts in the war against Francisco Franco's

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

/ Fascist/

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

forces. They encounter resistance even within their own "Free Women" (

Mujeres Libres Mujeres Libres ( en, Free Women, italic=yes) was an anarchist women's organisation that existed in Spain from 1936 to 1939. Founded by Lucía Sánchez Saornil, Mercedes Comaposada, and Amparo Poch y Gascón as a small women's group in Madrid, it ...

) organization as one woman (that resembles

Federica Montseny Frederica Montseny i Mañé (; 1905–1994) was a Catalan anarchist and intellectual who served as Minister of Health and Social Assistance in the Government of the Spanish Republic during the Civil War. She is known as a novelist and essayis ...

) tries to persuade them to stay and work in defense factories, while men try to convince them to go work as cooks, not front-line soldiers.

Cast and characters

* María (

) is a young, sheltered woman, Maria is swept into the confusion and euphoria of the initial days of the Spanish Civil War, when her convent is overrun by anarchist militiamen. Fearing for her life, as she believes the men mean her harm, she seeks refuge amongst the back alleys of the city, only to be given shelter in a brothel. Minutes later, the same building is stormed by militia-women, and the stern faced Pilar. When the brothel is closed, Maria is left with nowhere to go. Fearing for her safety, she stays by Pilar's side, hoping the stronger woman can shield her from the realities of a war, and a social revolution, she does not understand. Overtime she comes to sympathize with the anarchists who she has joined, blending her own beliefs of heaven and paradise with an anarchist desire for a

communal society An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...

founded on liberation. Though she never picks up a rifle for their cause, she ultimately becomes strong enough for a final reversal of roles, as she gives shelter to Pilar in the final moments of the movie. * Pilar (

) is a confident anarcha-feminist,

member, and militia soldier, Pilar is a constant source of strength for the characters around her, and a protector of the naive María. After convincing the prostitutes of a brothel to turn their backs on their old lives and become militia soldiers, she takes Maria under her wing, fearing the shy girl will only be in danger as a Catholic in a newly anti-theistic anarchist society. Disguising the girl as a fellow anarchist, she takes Maria as a ward and leads a small troop of militia soldiers into battle against the forces of Franco. *

as Floren * Blanca Apilánez as Aura *

Laura Mañá Laura Mañá Alvarenga (born 12 January 1968) is an actress, film director and screenwriter. She was born in Barcelona. As an actress, she has worked for directors such as Bigas Luna or Vicente Aranda. In 1997 she directed ''Paraules'', her first ...

as Concha *

as Charo *

Jorge Sanz Jorge Sanz Miranda (born 26 August 1969) is a Spanish actor and one of the most prominent actors of the Spanish cinema since the 1980s. He is known to international audiences for his roles in the films: '' Amantes'' (1991) by director Vicente Ara ...

as Obrero Hijo * José Sancho as Obrero padre *

Joan Crosas Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine *Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multiple ...

as Boina *

Antonio Dechent Antonio Dechent (born 1960) is a Spanish actor. Born in Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches ...

as Faneca

Reception

''Time Out'' stated that the movie "deserves praise for its feminist perspective on the course of the 1936-7 revolution, when women's liberation was a logical, if hardly well-recognised, constituent of the libertarian ideals that the Spanish working class rose up to assert."Libertarias (1995). Movie review from Time Out Film Guide
/ref>

References

External links

* * *
New Internationalist article
*

*

{{Authority control 1996 films Films about anarchism Spanish drama films 1990s Spanish-language films Anarcha-feminism Spanish Civil War films Films directed by Vicente Aranda Anarchism in Spain Spanish Revolution of 1936 1990s Spanish films

Plot summary

Cast and characters

Reception

See also

References

External links