La Virgen Negra
Encyclopedia
La Virgen Negra is a Venezuelan comedy film
mixed with romance
and magic realism
. It is the first movie of the 25-year-old filmmaker Ignacio Castillo.
The film tells the story of the strange changes in the lives of the inhabitants of a small fishing village (possibly an allusion to Barlovento
) in the Venezuelan coast after the appearance of a black virgin
.
The film is set in the town of Higuerote
in the northern coastal state of Miranda
, Venezuela
Manita then visits a mysterious woman, who is believed to be a witch, Lurdita (Aragon) who asks her to change the virgin of the church by the black virgin. Behind everybody's back and with the approval of Sra Isabel (Maura), the founder of the town, the black virgin becomes their new patron.
After that, strange things begin to happen in this village changing the routine of its inhabitants: the black virgin stopped it from getting dark, stopped the invasions of the vandals, make people fell in love and at the same time killed and sickened some. On the other hand, Lurdita (who is believed to be the builder of the black virgin) leaves the town saying others might need her help.
One morning, Franklin is playing baseball and as the kids were making fun of him he hits the ball so hard that breaks the image of the black virgin. After this, the vandals took over the town and killed almost everyone on it. The only survivors are shipped in a boat to the middle of the sea. Suddenly it begins to dawn in the middle of the night and Lurdita is seen smiling at the shores of the beach marking the end of the movie.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
mixed with romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
and magic realism
Magic realism
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...
. It is the first movie of the 25-year-old filmmaker Ignacio Castillo.
The film tells the story of the strange changes in the lives of the inhabitants of a small fishing village (possibly an allusion to Barlovento
Barlovento
Several places have the name Barlovento :*Barlovento, a municipality in the northern part of the island of La Palma in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands...
) in the Venezuelan coast after the appearance of a black virgin
Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin Mary is black. The term was especially applied to those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier...
.
The film is set in the town of Higuerote
Higuerote
Higuerote is the capital city of Brión Municipality in the state of Miranda, Venezuela....
in the northern coastal state of Miranda
Miranda (state)
Miranda State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. It is ranked second in population among Venezuelan states, after Zulia State. In June 30, 2010, it had approximately 2,987,968 residents. It also has the greatest Human Development Index in Venezuela, according to the...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
Primary cast
- Angelica AragonAngélica AragónAngélica Aragón is a Mexican actress of telenovelas and such films as Dune, A Walk in the Clouds, Bella, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Vivir un poco, Mirada de mujer, Novia que te vea, and the blockbuster film Sexo, pudor y lágrimas.-Early life:Aragón was born Angélica Espinoza Stransky in Mexico...
as Lurdita - Carmen MauraCarmen MauraCarmen García Maura is a Spanish actress. In a career that has spanned six decades, Maura is best known for her collaborations with noted Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar.-Early life:...
as Sra. Isabel - Matheus NachtergaeleMatheus NachtergaeleMatheus Nachtergaele is a Brazilian actor and director. He has starred in numerous Brazilian films and television programmes but is probably most well known for his appearance in the 2002 film Cidade de Deus , playing the part of Carrot Sandro...
as Dr. Joao Pinto - Carolina TorresCarolina TorresCarolina Alejandra Torres Guzmán is a Chilean pole vaulter.She won the silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, vaulting her personal best of 4.30 metres. She also competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.-Achievements:-References:...
as Manita - Francisco DiazFrancisco DiazFrancisco Diaz may refer to:* See José and Francisco Díaz, members of the Puerto Rican Militia who defended Puerto Rico from a British invasion in 1797*Francisco Díaz de León , Mexican engraver...
as Cura Isidro - Caridad Canelon as Leonor
- Julio RodriguezJulio RodríguezJulio César Rodríguez Secco is a former Uruguayan footballer. He played for Liverpool of Uruguay, San Martín of Argentina, and UE Lleida and Numancia of Spain.-External links: at Tenfield...
as Franklin - Geily Rosales as La negrita
- Cynthia Cabrera as La blanquita
- Jesika Grau as Marlene
- Cesar SuarezCésar Suárez-Career highlights:# 2005: 3º in General Classification Vuelta a Sucre # 2008: 1º in Stage 9 Vuelta al Tachira, San Cristóbal Cesar Suarez nació en Santo Domingo en el 1992, su familia es la encargada de organizar el Circo de los Hermanos Suarez en laRepublica Dominicana-External links:...
as Virgilio - Martin Peyrou as Velero
Plot
The film begins with Franklin (Rodriguez) trying to give his first kiss to "la negrita" (Rosales) when he is suddenly interrupted by a desperate Manita (Torres), who is concerned because her husband hasn't had sex with her in months.Manita then visits a mysterious woman, who is believed to be a witch, Lurdita (Aragon) who asks her to change the virgin of the church by the black virgin. Behind everybody's back and with the approval of Sra Isabel (Maura), the founder of the town, the black virgin becomes their new patron.
After that, strange things begin to happen in this village changing the routine of its inhabitants: the black virgin stopped it from getting dark, stopped the invasions of the vandals, make people fell in love and at the same time killed and sickened some. On the other hand, Lurdita (who is believed to be the builder of the black virgin) leaves the town saying others might need her help.
One morning, Franklin is playing baseball and as the kids were making fun of him he hits the ball so hard that breaks the image of the black virgin. After this, the vandals took over the town and killed almost everyone on it. The only survivors are shipped in a boat to the middle of the sea. Suddenly it begins to dawn in the middle of the night and Lurdita is seen smiling at the shores of the beach marking the end of the movie.
Production
- The film was made by Ignacio Castillo son of Leopoldo Castillo (host of the controversial TV show, Alo CiudadanoAló CiudadanoAló Ciudadano is a Venezuelan talk show hosted by Leopoldo Castillo. It airs both on the Globovisión 24-hour television news network and the Circuito Nacional Belfort radio network.- Format :...
- The vocals of the music was done by Lisbeth ScottLisbeth ScottLisbeth Scott is a vocalist who was featured on the soundtracks for the films The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Munich. For the first film, she co-wrote and performed the song "Where." She also co-wrote and performed "Good...
who also participated in the score of The Chronicles of NarniaThe Chronicles of NarniaThe Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
and The Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
.
External links
- La Virgen Negra - Official website.