Beauty

Daniela Seggiaro, Argentina, 2012, 83 min.
With: Rosmeri Segundo
Daniela Seggiaro, Argentina, 2012, 83 min
With: Rosmeri Segundo
In Spanish and Wichi Lhämtes, with English Subtitles

Official Selection, Berlin Film Festival 2012, Seattle International Film Festival 2012

Canadian Premiere

Sunday 4 November 2012, 4:00 PM, Innis Town Hall

 

Watch trailer here

Delicately observed, Beauty tells the story of Yolanda, a Wichí native girl who works as a housemaid for a large Criollo family in northern Argentina. The head of the household lives and works in another village, and his four sons are a constant nuisance. Though money is scarce, the whole family is busy preparing for the “Quinceañera,” or 15th birthday, of the eldest daughter, Antonella. While the family is not rude to Yolanda, they have little interest in her. Antonella considers Yolanda both a confidante and a fascinating oddity, especially because of her beautiful long hair, a mark of pride in the Wichí tribe. As the celebration approaches, Antonella and her overwhelmed mother strive to make every detail perfect, including the appearance of Yolanda, who often takes refuge from her situation by daydreaming of her childhood back in the Wichí culture. Her ability to separate herself from the reality of her situation is cut short by the family’s makeover efforts, which demonstrate a lack of understanding of Yolanda’s culture.

Beauty portrays the struggles of marginalized communities to maintain their aesthetic and spiritual identities.