''My Dearest Senorita'' () is a 1972 Spanish film directed by

Jaime de Armiñán Jaime de Armiñán Oliver (9 March 1927 – 9 April 2024) was a Spanish screenwriter and film director. His films have been nominated for Academy Awards in the Foreign language film category twice, in 1972 for and in 1980 for ''The Nest (1980 ...

. A romantic drama on the subject of

sex change Sex change may refer to: Biology and medicine *Gender-affirming care, the medical aspect of gender transition, that is, modifying person's sex characteristics **Gender-affirming surgery, surgical procedures that alters a person's physical appearan ...

and intersexualism, it was the first Spanish film that talked about

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...

, which was a taboo subject in Spain during

Franco's regime Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of History of Spain, Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . ...

. The film was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

at the

45th Academy Awards The 45th Academy Awards were presented Tuesday, March 27, 1973, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best films of 1972. The ceremonies were presided over by Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, an ...

. The film was released by In Cine, the Spanish division of Cinerama Releasing.

Plot

Adela, a 43-year-old spinster who lives alone in an isolated northern provincial Spanish village, spends her days sewing and doing charity work. Never feeling particularly attracted to men, she is waited upon in her home by her faithful maid, Isabel (whom she affectionately calls Isabelita), who adores her. One day, the local bank manager starts to court Adela and sets his sights on marriage. Repulsed by his physical overtures, Adela consults the local priest and confesses that, while she has never been physical with a woman, she feels "embarrassed" around them. On his advice, she resolves to consult a doctor. After a row, Adela fires Isabel. Upon seeing her doctor, Adela is informed that she is not a woman after all but a man. The former Adela moves to Madrid and takes on a new masculine identity, "Juan". After trying to obtain income with no identity card, Juan runs into Isabel, working as a waitress in a local coffee shop. Soon, Juan begins using his sewing skills (the only skill he has) to bring in a small income and enable him to obtain a work permit. Eventually, he falls in love with Isabel, who reciprocates his feelings. However, out of fear, he resists consummating their relationship. Finally, they successfully make love; afterwards, he says that one day he will tell her something "very important." Isabelita surprises him by responding, "There is no need, señorita," showing that she already knew his secret.

Cast

Reception

The film attracted international attention and was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Foreign Film An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

in 1973. The previous year,

José Luis López Vázquez José Luis López Vázquez de la Torre Medal of Merit in Labour, MMT (11 March 1922 – 2 November 2009) was a Spanish actor, comedian, costume designer, scenic designer, and assistant director whose career spanned nearly seven decades. He was ...

won the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actor at the

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

References

Notes

*Director Jaime de Armiñán and actress Julieta Serrano speak about film a
35 mm de cine español
* Schwartz, Ronald, ''The Great Spanish Films: 1950- 1990'',Scarecrow Press, London, 1991,

External links