| Mamacruz | |
| Director: | Patricia Ortega |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Gross: | €27,711[1] |
| Cinematography: | Fran Fernández-Pardo |
| Editing: | Fátima de los Santos |
| Music: | Paloma Peñarrubia |
| Distributor: | Filmax |
Mamacruz is a 2023 Spanish-Venezuelan comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Ortega and written by Ortega and José Ortuño. It stars Kiti Mánver.
The plot concerns about the rediscovery of an old woman's long-forgotten sexuality and desire.
Initially developed by Ortega in her native Venezuela, the project did not manage to persuade potential co-producers to work in the country. Upon a meeting of Ortega with Olmo Figueredo at 2019 Rome's MIA Market, the project eventually moved across the Atlantic to Spain.[2] [3] The screenplay was penned by Ortega alongside José Ortuño, who helped to adapt the script to a "Sevillian idiosyncrasy".
A Spanish-Venezuelan co-production, the film was produced by La Claqueta PC, Mamacruz AIE, and Pecado Films alongside Mandrágora Films, with the participation of Canal Sur Radio y Televisión, support from ICAA, and help from .[4] [5] Shooting locations included Seville.
Selected for the 'World Cinema Dramatic Competition' slate, Mamacruz premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2023.[6] [7] Filmax swooped on international rights to the film in advance of its world premiere. It also made it to an out-of-competition slot of the official selection of the 68th Valladolid International Film Festival for its European premiere.[8] It opened in Spanish theatres on 27 October 2023.[9]
According to the American review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Mamacruz has a 100% approval rating based on 19 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.9/10.[10]
Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily assessed that "the veteran Manver delivers a masterclass in nuance as a quietly-spoken, humble and repressed woman undergoing a violent inner transformation".[11]
Jacob Oller of Paste deemed Mamacruz to be "a vibrant and lovely character study", that "makes the most of its horny matriarch".[12]
Laurence Boyce of Cineuropa deemed the film to be a "personal and affecting piece of work that is both an achingly human portrait of a woman exploring her desires in her later years and a celebration of female sexuality".[13]
|-| rowspan = "14" | || rowspan = "2" | 11th Feroz Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Comedy Film || || rowspan = "2" | [14] |-| Best Actress in a Film || Kiti Mánver || |-| rowspan = "11" | 3rd Carmen Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || || rowspan = "11" | [15] |-| Best Director || Patricia Ortega || |-| Best Original Screenplay || Patricia Ortega, José Ortuño || |-| Best Actress || Kiti Mánver || |-| Best Supporting Actress || Mari Paz Sayago || |-| Best New Actress || Mercedes Moral || |-| Best Cinematography || Fran Fernández Pardo || |-| Best Editing || Fátima de los Santos || |-| Best Production Supervision || Manolo Limón || |-| Best Costume Design || Esther Vaquero || |-| Best Makeup and Hairstyles || Anabel Beato, Carmela Martín || |-| 38th Goya Awards || Best Editing || Fátima de los Santos || || [16] |}