''Frida Still Life'' ( es, Frida, naturaleza viva) is a 1983 Mexican

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Paul Leduc. The film was selected as the Mexican entry for the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

at the

58th Academy Awards The 58th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 24, 1986, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. Durin ...

, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Cast

Ofelia Medina María Ofelia Medina Torres (born 4 March 1950) is a Mexican actress, singer and screenwriter of Mexican films. She was married to film director Alex Philips Jr. and actor Pedro Armendáriz Jr. Biography She was born in Mérida and has four ...

Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, ...

Juan José Gurrola ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

as Diego Rivera * Max Kerlow as

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

Claudio Brook Claudio Brook (born Claude Sydney Brook Marnat, 28 August 1927 – 18 October 1995) was a Mexican actor. Life Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years as an actor. He ...

Guillermo Kahlo Guillermo Kahlo (born Carl Wilhelm Kahlo; 26 October 1871 – 14 April 1941) was a German Mexicans, German-Mexican photographer. He photographically documented important architectural works, churches, streets, landmarks, as well as industries and ...

Salvador Sánchez Salvador "Sal" Sánchez Narváez (January 26, 1959 – August 12, 1982) was a Mexican professional boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Sanchez was the WBC and ''The Ring featherweight champion from 1980 to 19 ...

David Alfaro Siqueiros David Alfaro Siqueiros (born José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros; December 29, 1896 – January 6, 1974) was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with ...

* Cecilia Toussaint as Frida's Sister * Ziwta Kerlow as Trotsky's Wife *

Margarita Sanz A margarita is a cocktail consisting of Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up). T ...

as Frida's friend

Plot

''Frida Still Life'' opens with Frida Kahlo's coffin laid out in the Bellas Artes palace in Mexico City. Throughout the film, we see a series of flashbacks of Kahlo's life as she lies on her deathbed. The flashbacks show her relationship with Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky, as well as her artwork, miscarriages, and physical ailments.

Critical response

''Frida Still Life'' has been classified as a prime example of New Latin American Cinema of the 1960s and early 70s by film scholars such as Paul A. Schroeder Rodríguez, especially in the way it depicts Frida Kahlo as a marginalized subject. Additionally, film critics admire its use of mirrors as a way to show Kahlo's unique point of view.

Awards

The film was honored with the Gran Coral as the Best Picture of the 1984 Havana Film Festival of New Latin American Cinema (NCLA), and Ofelia Medina, in the role of Frida, received a Coral as the Best Actress.

References

External links