THE LIGHTER SIDE

Mamacruz

PATRICIA ORTEGA
Spain, 2022
90 minutes, Color
Official website

Mamacruz is a humorous tale of sexual rediscovery. Devoutly religious Cruz leads a routine existence with her husband and precocious granddaughter while her daughter, Carlota, chases her dream of becoming a professional dancer in Vienna. While she's attempting to navigate the Internet, a single errant click momentarily exposes Cruz to online pornography. She's mortified but suddenly reminded of her own desires. Initially unsure of where to aim her newly rediscovered sensuality, Cruz fruitlessly looks to her beloved church and befuddled husband for satisfaction before finding solace in a women's sex therapy group and beginning a tentative journey toward self-love. Co-writer/director Patricia Ortega's spirited, sensitive satire embeds a celebration of Cruz's sexual reawakening, blossoming into a tender, honest depiction of the woman's resolve to reassess and redefine her entire existence.—Sundance Film Festival

In Spanish with English subtitles