Fina Torres’ Oriana won the Caméra d’Or Prize at the 1985 Cannes Film Fest as the best first feature.
| Oriana | |
|---|---|
Film poster
|
|
Set in a hacienda or ranch, the feature is co-written by Torres and Antoine Lacomblez, based on a previously published novel that was litte known outside of the region.
The tale unfolds as a multi-layered mystery-melodrama about a woman named Maria (Daniela Silverio), who returns from France to the house of her childhood in Venezuela.
In the process, she discovers some secrets about the real identity and behavior of her aunt (Oriana), who had died and had left the property to her.
In flashbacks, the film show the young Maria (Maya Oloe) trying to understand the quiet but strange atmosphere that surrounds the place, while sorting out why Oriana had never left the hacienda.
After these reveries within reveries, Maria makes one more crucial discovery, by connecting some issues, leading to her decision to not sell the house.
Oriana was submitted as the Venezuelan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 58th Oscars, but was not nominated.
Upon initial release, some critcs complained about the convoluted structure of the film, which unfolds as flashbacks within flashbacks, claimimg that it prevents engagement with the tale.
Cast
Doris Wells– Oriana
Daniela Silverio – Adult Maria
Maya Oloe – Maria, adolescent
Mirtha Borges – Fidelia
Rafael Briceño – Padre
Philippe Rouleau – George
Claudia Venturini – Oriana, adolescent
Hannah Caminos – Oriana, child
Credits:
Directed by Fina Torres
Written by Antoine Lacomblez, Torres
Produced by Patrick Sandrin, Torres
Cinematography Jean-Claude Larrieu
Edited by Christiane Lack
Release date: Sept 14, 1985
Running time: 88 minutes
Caméra d’Or Winning Films (1978-Present)
Alambrista! (1978), US
Northern Lights (1979), US
Adrien’s Story (1980), French
Desperado City (1981), West German
Half a Life (1982), French
The Princess (1983)
Stranger Than Paradise (1984), US
Oriana (1985), Venezuela
Noir et Blanc (1986), French
Robinsonada or My English Grandfather (1987)
Salaam Bombay! (1988), US (India)
My 20th Century (1989), Hungary
Freeze Die Come to Life (1990),
Toto the Hero (1991), Belgium
Mac (1992), US
The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)
Coming to Terms with the Dead (1994)
The White Balloon (1995)
Love Serenade (1996)
Suzaku (1997
Slam (1998), US
Marana Simhasanam (1999)
Djomeh (2000)
A Time for Drunken Horses (2000)
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)
Seaside (2002)
Reconstruction (2003)
Or (My Treasure) (2004), Israel
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), US
The Forsaken Land (2005)
12:08 East of Bucharest (2006)
Jellyfish (2007), Israel
Hunger (2008), UK
Samson and Delilah (2009)
Año bisiesto (2010)
Las Acacias (2011)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), US
Ilo Ilo (2013)
Party Girl (2014)
Land and Shade (2015)
Divines (2016)
Montparnasse Bienvenue (2017)
Girl (2018), Belgium
Our Mothers (2019)
Murina (2021)
War Pony (2022), US
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
Armand (2024)
The President’s Cake (2025)
