''My Dearest Senorita'' ( es, Mi querida señorita, links=no) is a 1972 Spanish film directed by

Jaime de Armiñán Jaime de Armiñán Oliver (born 9 March 1927) is a Spanish screenwriter and film director. His films have been nominated for Academy Awards in the Foreign language film category twice, in 1972 for '' Mi querida señorita'' and in 1980 for '' El ...

. A romantic drama on the subject of

sex change Sex change is a natural or artificial process in which an individual's sex is changed. Sex change may also refer to: Biology and medicine *Sex reassignment therapy *Sex reassignment surgery *Sequential hermaphroditism, a phenomenon whereby some ...

and intersexualism, it was the first Spanish film that talked about

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

, which was a taboo subject in Spain during Franco's regime. The film was released by In Cine, the Spanish division of Cinerama Releasing.

Plot

Adela is a 43-year-old spinster who lives alone in an isolated northern provincial Spanish village. She spends her days sewing and doing charity work. Never feeling particularly attracted to men, she is waited upon in her home by her faithful maid, Isabel (whom she affectionately calls Isabelita), who adores her. One day, the local bank manager starts to court Adela and sets his sights on marriage. Adela, repulsed by his physical overtures, consults the local priest and confesses that, while she has never been physical with a woman, feels "embarrassed" around them. On his advice, she resolves to consult a doctor. After a row, Adela fires Isabel; upon seeing her doctor, Adela is informed that she is not a woman after all, but a man. The former Adela moves to Madrid and takes on a new masculine identity, "Juan". After trying to obtain income with no identity card, Juan runs into Isabel, working as a waitress in a local coffee shop. Soon, Juan begins using his sewing skills (the only skill he has) to bring in a small income and enable him to obtain a work permit. Soon, he falls in love with Isabel, who reciprocates his feelings. However, out of fear, he resists consummating their relationship. Finally, they successfully make love; afterwards, he says that one day he will tell her something "very important"; Isabelita surprises him by responding, "There is no need, señorita", showing that she already knew his secret.

Cast

Reception

The film attracted international attention and was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Foreign Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

in 1973.

References

Notes

*Director Jaime de Armiñán and actress Julieta Serrano speak about film a
35 mm de cine español
* Schwartz, Ronald, ''The Great Spanish Films: 1950- 1990'',Scarecrow Press, London, 1991,

External links