Prayers for the Stolen

2021 film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prayers for the Stolen

Prayers for the Stolen (Spanish: Noche de fuego, lit.'Night of Fire') is a 2021 Mexican drama film directed and written by Tatiana Huezo,[1][2] which adapts Jennifer Clement's novel Prayers for the Stolen.[2]

Quick Facts Spanish, Directed by ...
Prayers for the Stolen
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Theatrical release poster
SpanishNoche de fuego
Directed byTatiana Huezo
Written byTatiana Huezo
Based onPrayers for the Stolen
by Jennifer Clement
Produced by
Starring
  • Ana Cristina Ordóñez González
  • Marya Membreño
  • Mayra Batalla
  • Blanca Itzel Pérez
  • Camila Gaal
  • Giselle Barrera Sánchez
  • Alejandra Camacho
  • Julián Guzmán Girón
  • José Estrada
  • Norma Pablo
  • Eileen Yáñez
  • Memo Villegas
CinematographyDariela Ludlow
Edited byMiguel Schverdfinger
Music by
  • Jacobo Lieberman
  • Leonardo Heiblum
Release dates
  • 15 July 2021 (2021-07-15) (Cannes)
  • 16 September 2021 (2021-09-16) (Mexico)
CountryMexico
LanguageSpanish
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Plot

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Three girls in San Miguel, Jalisco come of age in a rural village that is dominated by the drug trade and human trafficking.The movie opens with the mother digging a hole for the little girl. We then see a boy working in a quarry. He doesn't look very happy. The people of the village are looking for a phone call in the hills of the village to ask their relatives for money. Ana calls her father but gets no answer. On her way home, Ana sees a woman crying in despair. The woman tells her to go home. Ana sees a scorpion on the ceiling and falls asleep. The next day starts with a school scene in which one of the students says "the scorpion has a stinger to protect it from its enemies". The next scene returns to the people working in the quarry and there is a huge explosion.

When her mother sees Ana wearing lipstick, she gets very angry and threatens her. Her mother takes Ana to the hairdresser. Here she cuts her hair like a man. Ana then goes to the house of her friend Juana, who is rumored to have been kidnapped, and looks out the window. The parents listen to the teacher. She reports that the cartels are demanding immediate payment.

The movie makes a time jump and goes to about 5-6 years later. Ana is moved by what the teacher tells her and dreams of changing the existing order. Then the cartels come to get Ana. But Ana immediately hides. The movie closes with a travel scene.[3]

Cast

  • Mayra Batalla as Rita.[4]
  • Alejandra Camacho as Paula (teen).[4]
  • Marya Membreño as Ana (teen).[4]
  • Ana Cristina Ordóñez González as Ana (child).[4]
  • Memo Villegas as Leonardo.[4]
  • Norma Pablo as Luz.[4]
  • Giselle Barrera Sánchez as María (teen).[4]
  • Blanca Itzel Pérez as María (child).[4]
  • Julián Guzmán Girón as Margarito (teen).[4]
  • David Illescas as the teacher.[4]
  • Eileen Yañez as Concha.[4]
  • Camila Gaal as Paula (child).[4]
  • Olivia Lagunas as Zulma.[4]
  • Teresa Sánchez as Helena.[4]
  • Andrés Chavero Medina as Joel.[4]
  • Gabriela Núñez as Artemia.[4]
  • José Estrada as Margarito (child).[4]
  • Daniela Arroio as the Doctor.[4]

Release

In June 2021, the film was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.[5] At Cannes, it won a Special Mention in the Un Certain Regard section.[6]

The film was theatrically released in Mexico on 16 September 2021.[7] In October 2021, it was disclosed to be the Mexican entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.[8] Ultimately, it was not nominated. It began streaming on Netflix on 17 November 2021.[7]

Reception

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Critical response

Prayers for the Stolen has an approval rating of 96% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 56 reviews, and an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critical consensus states: "As absorbing as it is harrowing, Prayers for the Stolen observes life under the shadow of systemic violence with startling clarity".[9] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Awards and nominations

More information Award, Date of ceremony ...
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Cannes Film Festival 17 July 2021 Un Certain Regard Tatiana Huezo Nominated [11]
Un Certain Regard - Special Mention Won
San Sebastián International Film Festival 25 September 2021 Horizontes Latinos Prayers for the Stolen Won [12]
RTVE Otra Mirada Award Won
Forqué Awards 11 December 2021 Best Latin-American Film Won [13]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 18 December 2021 Next Generation Award Tatiana Huezo Won [14]
Palm Springs International Film Festival 6 January 2022 Young Cineastes Award Tatiana Huezo Nominated [15]
FIPRESCI Prize for Best International Feature Film Prayers for the Stolen Won
Best Ibero-American Film Won
Independent Spirit Awards 6 March 2022 Best International Film Nominated [16]
Directors Guild of America Awards 12 March 2022 Outstanding First-Time Feature Film Director Tatiana Huezo Nominated [17]
Satellite Awards 2 April 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Prayers for the Stolen Nominated [18]
Platino Awards 1 May 2022 Best Ibero-American Film Nominated [19]
Best Director Tatiana Huezo Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Cristina Ordóñez González Nominated
Ariel Awards 11 October 2022 Best Picture Prayers for the Stolen Won [20][21]
Best Director Tatiana Huezo Nominated
Best Actress Cristina Ordóñez González Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Memo Villegas Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Eileen Yáñez Nominated
Mayra Batalla Won
Norma Pablo Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance Alejandra Camacho Nominated
Giselle Barrera Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Tatiana Huezo Won
Best Cinematography Dariela Ludlow Won
Best Original Score Leonardo Heiblum and Jacobo Lieberman Nominated
Best Editing Yibrán Asuad Nominated
Best Costume Design Úrsula Schneider Nominated
Best Art Design Oscar Tello Nominated
Best Makeup Roberto Ortiz and Ana Robles Won
Best Visual Effects Miguel de Hoyos Nominated
Best Special Effects Ricardo Arvizu Jr. Won
Best Sound Lena Esquenazi, Federico G. Jordan and Paulo Gama Won
Goya Awards 11 February 2023Best Ibero-American FilmPrayers for the StolenNominated[22]
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See also

References

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