‘The Maid' Star Catalina Saavedra, Madre Board Malaga Buzz Project ‘A Decorous Woman' (EXCLUSIVE)
Chile's Catalina Saavedra, a Sundance Acting Special Jury Prize winner for 'The Maid,' and a Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for 'Rotting in the Sun,' is attached to star in Natalia Luque's 'A Decorous Woman' ('Señorita de Buena Presencia'), lead produced by Chile's Parina Films and one of the highest profile projects to be showcased at next week's 2025 Malaga Festival Fund & Co-Production Event (MAFF).
In further news, 'A Decorous Woman,' set up at Parina Films, represented by Rodrigo Díaz, and France's Tomsa Films (France), headed by Thomas Lambert, has just been boarded by Madre Content. A Latinx company, Madre was launched in 2023 by distinguished Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegría ('The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future') with offices in Chile, Uruguay and the U.S.
More from Variety
Spain's Latido Films Scoops Up Doc 'Almudena' Ahead of Malaga Film Fest Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Latido Picks Up Gracia Querejeta's Malaga Competition Title 'The Good Luck' (EXCLUSIVE)
Malaga Unveils 2025 Work in Progress Lineup Spotlighting Projects From Chile, Dominican Republic
Madre will co-produce 'A Decorous Woman,' which has also tapped a grant from the Chilean Audiovisual Fund 2024 in its Feature Film Production category, securing 30% of its budget, Díaz told Variety.
Breaking out after 'The Maid,' Saavedra also played next to Tilda Swinton in Julio Torres' SXSW 2023 debut 'Problemista,' produced by Emma Stone. She scored last year a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for supporting performance in 'Rotting in the Sun,' directed by 'The Maid' helmer Sebastián Silva.
In 'A Decorous Woman,' Saavedra will play Maria Marta, a 55-year-old hairdresser in Chile whose copes with her loneliness when her only daughter moves abroad. immersing herself in the gossip and stories told by her clients. After learning her daughter will not return to Chile, however, she is forced to stop fantasizing about others' lives and find comfort in unexpected places.
'Catalina is a magnificent artist. She has a quality of embodying the roles she plays with such commitment that you can feel how they live within her skin, transmitting the characters' emotions and experiences beyond the screen, connecting with the audience in a way that's not easy to achieve,' said Díaz.
'She is also a versatile actress who seamlessly navigates both drama and comedy – two genres central to the film and integral to Marta Maria's experience,' he added.
'A Decorous Woman' marks the feature debut of Columbia U and BAFTA Newcomers Program alum Luque, whose 2023 Chilean village abortion short 'So They Say' played Palm Springs Shortfest, as well as the Telluride Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival and GuadaLAjara Film Festival, winning Jury Honors and Student Selects recognition at the Columbia Film Festival. It was also shortlisted for the BAFTA Yugo Student Awards and went on to score last year a CCAS Prize at the Cinélatino, Rencontres de Toulouse.
'The film explores intergenerational bonds among women and their influence during a pivotal moment in the protagonist's life,' Luque told Variety. 'Set in a hair salon – an epicenter of gossip and storytelling – it combines elements of drama and comedy to portray experiences that resonate intimately with women's perspectives.'
'The film is a journey to the heart of motherhood, where caring and nurturing are in the epicenter. The protagonist must confront the absence and rediscover herself as a woman,' added Díaz.
At Mafiz, Málaga's industry forum, Díaz and Luque aim to meet with Spanish producers, international sales agents, distributors and film funds representatives.
'I am driven by films – and art in general – that explore the intimate universe of women. Natalia's debut feature is a film that depicts a complex character through a journey of self-discovery and self-recognition beyond society's expectations,' said Díaz.
He added: 'The film is also an invitation for the audience to reflect on the 'decorous women' in our lives – our mothers, aunts, grandmothers and beyond who have seen their life experience repressed, with limited opportunities for development outside the roles they are expected to fulfil.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' to Star Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka and Michael Rooker; New Game Follows David Mason in Year 2035 (EXCLUSIVE)
Microsoft's Activision is shaking up its long-running 'Call of Duty' franchise with a break from tradition and some A-list stars. At the conclusion of Xbox Games Showcase 2025 on Sunday, 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' was unveiled as the next planned 'CoD' game from Treyarch and Raven Software. With the debut of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' just last fall, this marks the first time ever that two 'Black Ops' installments have been released back to back in the life cycle of the 'Call of Duty' franchise. More from Variety Xbox Ally Handheld Console to Launch This Year From Microsoft 'Deadpool' VR Game Starring Neil Patrick Harris Set From Meta Quest, Marvel New 'Game of Thrones' PC Strategy Game 'War for Westeros' to Launch in 2026 Variety has learned that 'Black Ops 7,' which is set in 2035, more than four decades after the events of 'Black Ops 6,' will star Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka and 'CoD' alum Michael Rooker as voice and its motion capture actors. Ventimiglia will play David Mason, a protagonist previously introduced in 'Black Ops 2,' while Shipka has been cast as Emma Kagen, and Rooker is reprising his 'Black Ops 2' role of Mike Harper. Though the casting news comes amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike against major video game publishers, including Activision, Variety has confirmed 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' is not a struck title and work on the game has not been impacted by the actors union's work-stoppage. Activision marketing chief Tyler Bahl described casting Ventimiglia as David Mason (who will receive a subtle makeover so the character is more to Ventimiglia's likeness) as the right fit for 'an iconic character from the franchise and one of the fan favorites' from 'Black Ops 2.' 'And then we brought in Kiernan Shipka, which we're super excited about and is red hot right now, to play this character called Emma Kagen,' Bahl told Variety. 'It's a new character, and she is a CEO of this organization called The Guild, and we think her performance will really blow people away. And then finally, Michael Rooker, is returning to the franchise reprising his role as Mike Harper from 'Black Ops 2,' and I think our fans, you know, will be excited to see him, you know, come back and return to the franchise, you know, because he hasn't been here in a while.' Per the game's description, 'In 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7,' Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending 'Black Ops' ever. Developed as the next evolution of 'Black Ops,' this is the first-ever consecutive release within the series, set more than 40 years after the events of 'Black Ops 6.' The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare following the events of 'Black Ops 2' and 'Black Ops 6.' Wielding cutting-edge technology, David Mason and his team must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.' The game is a co-op campaign and, like 'Black Ops 6,' will include round-based zombies. 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' will be released across Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and on PC via Xbox PC, and Steam. The game will be available at launch through Xbox's Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscriptions. 'Usually at this point in time, we would have teased everything that's coming out. And I think in a lot of ways we're setting this up more like a Beyonce album dropping; nobody's going to know about it, or nobody's going to see it coming,' Bahl told Variety. 'The whole goal was to really do something different, and for us to zag and show up in a unique way. And one way of doing that is almost not doing any pre-promotion and giving it to players in a really unexpected way.' Watch the teaser trailer for 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' below. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Buzz Feed
14 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Lilo & Stitch Director Responds To Ending Backlash
Spoilers follow for Lilo & Stitch. At this point, the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has made so much money that, if you're reading this, it's possible you've seen it twice. You're also probably aware that the remake makes a lot of changes to the original plot of the 2002 animated film — and that people aren't happy about the biggest change to the ending, which sees Nani leave Lilo behind in Hawaii to study marine biology in San Diego. In a new interview with Variety, the remake's director Dean Fleischer Camp addressed the backlash towards the film's ending for the first time. "I've had some time to think about this," he said. "I do think that a fair amount of the people who are dunking on that premise have not actually seen the movie, and they write me stuff that is clearly wrong. They get the beats of the story wrong. But when you see it doesn't feel that way at all, and you see the intent of the actual filmmaking." "There are two larger conversations going on that led us towards that ending. We wanted to expand the meaning of ohana, and ground it in traditional Hawaiian values of collectivism, extended family and community. [Screenwriter Chris Kekaniokalani Bright], who's Hawaiian, made a really important observation about the original early on in our discussions. He didn't buy that the two orphan sisters would just be left to fend for themselves. He said, 'Neighbors, church groups, aunties and uncles, all these people would step in. That's just the Hawaii I know and grew up in.'" "That led him to create this character of Tutu, and she ultimately takes Lilo in as hanai, which is this culturally specific term and tradition that is a form of informal adoption. It isn't about blood or paperwork, but love and responsibility for the greater good and for one's community." Dean went on to say that Hawaiians who have seen the film "love" the reference to hanai, which is "this uniquely Hawaiian answer to the question of who shows up when things fall apart, and that idea of informal adoption. It shows the broader community's willingness to sacrifice and do whatever it takes for these girls and for their ohana." He also pointed out the difficulty of aiming to "satisfy everyone" when it comes to remaking beloved properties like Lilo & Stitch. "You are treading on hallowed ground when you make one of these, because these are films people grew up with, and I'm one of them, and I totally understand it. But we didn't want to just restage the beats of the original film, as much as we both loved it." "We wanted to tell a story that's honest about what it means to lose everything and still find a way forward. People do get left behind, like what Nani says, this is, and it's incumbent upon the community to make sure that they aren't forgotten." You can read the entire interview here.
Buzz Feed
20 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Jonathan Bailey Recalls Awkward Moment In "Wicked"
Jonathan Bailey has admitted he and his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande had a bit of an awkward moment when they were still getting to know one another. The British actor plays Fieryo in both Wicked and its much-hyped sequel, shooting both films back-to-back in a rather hectic time for his career, during which he was also making the TV shows Bridgerton and Fellow Travellers. As a result, Jonathan told British GQ that his rehearsal time on the movie was rather limited, with the Emmy nominee having just three days to prepare before filming began. 'I remember having four hours to learn how to do a dance move,' he explained. 'I did it with Ari, headbutted her, and was like, 'Gotta go!'' He quipped: 'I think she might have even headbutted me, but it was a meeting of minds, literally.' Fortunately, despite the literal tête-à-tête, he and the "Twilight Zone" singer went on to forge a strong friendship, at one point even attending Wimbledon together during their Wicked downtime. Last year, Jonathan spoke candidly about the toll that shooting multiple projects at the same time took on one particular aspect of his appearance. He claimed that having a perm for Bridgerton and a straight do for Fellow Travellers left his hair 'looking like coral' – and as a result, he had to sport a 'big old toupée' to play Fiyero in Wicked. 'I'm in the choreography so it's flapping about!' he joked to Variety during an Actors On Actors interview with Naomi Watts. Wicked For Good sees Jonathan once again sharing the screen with the likes of Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh, in the movie adaptation of the stage musical's second act. The first trailer for the sequel was released on Wednesday night, ahead of its worldwide release on Friday 21 November.
