Miguelina begins on a hot day, where a group of religious folk are praying ardently for rain to fall upon their dry land. In the meantime, a small boy drops by to talk to Doña Miguelina, an old woman who passes the time making baskets. He tells her that his parents think that Don Jose, her husband, will never come back, while the other women in the village talk about how mysterious it is that the rain stopped falling when her husband left and she started weaving baskets.
This film has a touch of magic that brings a curious atmosphere to the village. Of course, along with such wondrous spectacles, there will inevitably come fear and misunderstanding – perhaps more so when an accepting young girl is also involved. Amidst quiet hopes, steady perseverance, and unsaid words, Miguelina shows a steadfast heart and a silent strength, coupled with anger, religion, and sadness among weaved baskets and lovely flowers.
There’s something about Miguelina’s insistent expectation of her husband’s return that seems so beautiful to me. (The film also rather reminds me of the magical realism in a Gabriel García Márquez book.) What about you? What do you think of Miguelina, Jose, and the nonbelievers in their village?
(Miguelina is available in HD and with English subtitles on YouTube. Click here for another story about an old woman in the desert. Click here for another story about a group of villagers ganging up on another poor recluse.)
Directed by Reyther Ortega
