Elisa, vida mía is a 1977

1977 in film

The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....

 Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 drama film

Drama film

A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...

 written and directed by Carlos Saura

Carlos Saura

Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...

. The film stars Saura's long-term companion and frequent collaborator, Geraldine Chaplin

Geraldine Chaplin

Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...

. She stars alongside, Fernando Rey

Fernando Rey

Fernando Casado Arambillet , best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States...

 who won the Best Actor

Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)

The Best Actor Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.- Award Winners :-External links:* * ....

 award at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival

1977 Cannes Film Festival

The 30th Cannes Film Festival was held on May 13-27. A new non-competitive section, 'Le Passé composé', is held at this festival only and focuses on compilations.- Jury :*Roberto Rossellini *N'Sougan Agblemagnon...

 for his performance.

Plot

On a secluded farmhouse in Castile and León

Castile and León

Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...

, Luis is reuinted with his estranged daughter, Elisa after a 20-year separation. On the farmhouse, Luis writes what appears at times to be both an autobiography and a novel. The book is played out, with memories of the past, such as when Luis walked out on his family and is mixed with fantasies about Elisa's adult life as well as her failed marriage.

Cast

• Geraldine Chaplin
  Geraldine Chaplin
  Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
  
   : Elisa Santamaria/ mother of Elisa
• Fernando Rey
  Fernando Rey
  Fernando Casado Arambillet , best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States...
  
   : Luis
• Ana Torrent
  Ana Torrent
  Ana Torrent Bertrán de Lis is a Spanish film actress.Torrent's debut came in 1973 with the starring role as "Ana" in the film El espíritu de la colmena directed by Víctor Erice, when she was seven years old...
  
   : Elisa as child
• Norman Briski
  Norman Briski
  Norman Briski is a well-known Argentine theatre actor, director and playwright, as well as a noted cinema and television actor.-Life and work:Naum Normando Briski was born in Santa Fe, Argentina, in 1938...
  
   : Antonio
• Arantxa Escamilla : Niña Isabel
• Jacobo Escamilla : Niño
• Francisco Guijar : Médico
• Joaquín Hinojosa : Julián
• Isabel Mestres

Reception

Vincent Canby

Vincent Canby

Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...

 of The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

praised Chaplin and Rey; "The main reasons to see the film are the two leading performances. Mr. Rey is always an interesting presence, and Miss. Chaplin as in all of her Saura films, reveals qualities of feeling, control and beauty that no other directors have ever found."

Saura was nominated for the Palme d'Or

Palme d'Or

The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...

 for the film, and won Best Director at Spain's Cinema Writers Circle Awards.