Critique of “Santa Barbara”, Reconciling Identity and Expectations of Motherhood (FICM 2022)

In Latin American culture, there is a preconceived notion full of expectations and prejudices about what it is to be a mother. Some recent films have dealt with this topic from different angles than usual, showing its complexities with great intelligence and originality, as is the case with “The other Tom” also “Huesera”. “Saint Barbara”directed by Anis Barito Ongina, deals with what happens when these preconceived notions collide with a life that has already been built, and how the reality of migration meets unexpected motherhood.

Barbara (Annabel Castañón) is a Latin American woman who has been living in Barcelona for several years: she works as a maid, goes out with her friends, plays soccer on weekends and has a girlfriend. She sends money to her mother and children in her home country, but one day, her son Ulysses (Alberto Silva) has to live with her, which makes her change her lifestyle.

“Santa Barbara” is a film full of fine detail, in which the director and screenwriter calmly but effectively create conflicts. For example, when Barbara learned of her son’s arrival, she changed her loose hair for a ponytail, her loose blouses for turtlenecks and with a cold face she ended up with her friend on the spot. Words are nothing more than strictly necessary, but the look says it all.

Annabel Castaignon is a revelation: her supposed transformation from a laid-back woman into a serious, responsible mother is frank, but thanks to her expressions we can see the character’s inner struggle, the remnants of a whole life built desperately to get out. Pareto effectively uses silence to allow his actress to communicate through body language her helplessness, unease, and deep affection for a son she doesn’t fully realize.

Accompanied by Alberto Silva, whose discontent and confusion make us sympathize with him, shows us the distance between mother and son despite the fact that they are in the same room. This might be an obnoxious or desperate character with a less polished treatment, but here we’ve also put the director and actor in the shoes of Ulysses, who finds himself in an unknown place with whether or not he really trusts her.

Barbara’s sexuality and prejudices against her are also treated respectfully and without melodrama; It integrates well into the central struggle and it is not necessary at any time to fall into great suffering. The protagonist’s decision to hide her sexual orientation from Ulysses becomes another layer in which she assumes a role other than what she really is. While Ulysses refuses to be treated in an office with his mother present, it is ironic that she is angry, because there is so much she does not tell him or show him about her character.

With strong performance and meticulous direction, “Santa Bárbara” introduces us to important themes about the new family paradigms resulting from immigration. His empathetic text introduces us to interesting characters that he always invites us to understand. Motherhood has many faces, and Anis Barito Ongina presents one with great affection and understanding.

“Santa Bárbara” was part of the official selection of Morelia International Film Festival 2022.