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La spagnola (The Spanish woman)

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Movie propaganda

La spagnola

is a comical tale of love and survival laced with a liberal amount of Mediterranean locura. 1960s Australia, not the swinging city, but a dusty fibro surrounded by sun-browned grass with an oil refinery as a backdrop.

Lola (Lola Marceli) is very much the exotic Spanish woman, defiantly serving chorizos in a land of roast lamb and veggies. But her husband, Ricardo (Simon Palomares), has had enough of her tempestuous ways. He heads for calmer waters with his all-Australian mistress, Wendy (Helen Thomson), and the family savings. Lola and her adolescent daughter, Lucia (Alice Ansara), are left with a goat, a flock of pigeons and one very empty refrigerator. The feisty Lola struggles on but boy, is she angry - and plenty of that temper lands on Lucia, who like any good daughter adores her father and misses him terribly. As Lola's passionate lust for revenge drives her to more and more outlandish scheme, Lucia begins her own stealth-like campaign of retribution.

Also starring Alex Dimitriades. Directed by Steve Jacobs.

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

if 2001: sound design (Andrew Plain)
Sydney Film Festival 2001: Screening

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Looking for Alibrandi for grown ups.

In other words, wog girl with disruptive family life doesn't fit into the typical Australian mould (let alone the Italian or the Spanish) and has to grow up a lot quicker than she wants to. This time, however, the adolescent is not the centre of attention but a victim of the whirlwind that is her mother. Lola goes off as the betrayed wife, lashing out with fabulous fiery latina temper. Her predicament would be a horror for anyone: abandoned by an unfaithful husband in a backward country far from home where no-one speaks your language and you barely speak theirs with a growing daughter to care for. Joy.

Meanwhile the despicable husband is your typical slutty Italian bloke, taking what he wants where he wants. It's a guy thing. Alice comes off as pretty bland when up against these two and she isn't the most striking female on the big screen either.

All in all, La spagnola has more value as a dramatisation of life for Mediterranean migrant families in Australia in the glorious 1960s than it does as a drama. The dish has more drama but it's also more mainstream. La spagnola is a niche film that won't make it into wide release. I am hungry. Not for a good film but for an honest cinnamon doughnut, not one of those bagel wannabe monstrosities, but even if he had one, he wouldn't have a better opinion of this film. It does the job but you could do better.