My Dearest Senorita

My Dearest Senorita (Spanish: Mi querida señorita) is a 1972 Spanish film directed by Jaime de Armiñán. A romantic drama on the subject of sex change and intersexualism, it was the first Spanish film that talked about sexual orientation, which was a taboo subject in Spain during Franco's regime.

My Dearest Senorita
Spanish film poster
Directed byJaime de Armiñán
Written byJosé Luis Borau
Jaime de Armiñán
Produced byLuis Megino
StarringJosé Luis López Vázquez
Julieta Serrano
Antonio Ferrandis
CinematographyLuis Cuadrado
Edited byAna Romero Marchent
Music byRafael Ferro
Release date
  • 17 February 1972 (1972-02-17)
Running time
80 minutes
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

The film was released by In Cine, the Spanish division of Cinerama Releasing.

Plot

Adela is a 43-year-old spinster who lives quietly alone in an isolated northern provincial Spanish village. She spends her days sewing and doing charity work. Never feeling particularly attracted to men, she is waited upon in her home by a faithful lady's maid named Isabelita, who adores her.

One day, the local bank manager starts to court Adela and sets his sights on marriage. Adela, repelled by the physical contact of her suitor, resolves to consult a doctor, after an argument with Isabelita over the situation. Adela fires Isabelita, but sees the doctor anyway. Adela discovers after the consultation that she is not a woman after all, but a man. The former Adela takes then a new masculine identity as "Juan", and moves from the village to Madrid.

Juan arrives in Madrid and accidentally meets Isabelita. Juan searches for a job and a new purpose in his life with his new identity. Life is hard in Madrid and Juan uses his sewing skills to bring him a small income and enable him to obtain a work permit. As he prospers, he falls in love with Isabelita, but denies himself consummation of their affair for fear of a poor sexual response. Eventually, he is successful with Isabelita. While making love to her, he warns that one day he will tell her a secret. Isabelita says then: "There is no need, señorita", showing that she already knows his secret.

Cast

Reception

The film attracted international attention and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1973.[1]

See also

References
  1. "The 45th Academy Awards (1973) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-30.

Notes
  • Director Jaime de Armiñán and actress Julieta Serrano speak about film at 35 mm de cine español
  • Schwartz, Ronald, The Great Spanish Films: 1950- 1990,Scarecrow Press, London, 1991, ISBN 0-8108-2488-4
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