''Savages'' ( es, Salvajes, links=no) is a 2001 drama film directed by based on the play of the same name by

José Luis Alonso de Santos José Luis Alonso de Santos (born 23 August 1942) is a Spanish dramatist. Santos was born in Valladolid. His play ''Bajarse al moro'' won Spain's 1985 National Theater Prize The National Theater Award ( es, Premio Nacional de Teatro, links=no ...

. It stars

Marisa Paredes María Luisa Paredes Bartolomé (born 3 April 1946), known professionally as Marisa Paredes, is a Spanish actress. Biography Paredes began acting in 1960 film, '' 091 Policia al Habla'' (''091, Police Speaking!'') She became a teen idol across ...

and

Imanol Arias Manuel María Arias Domínguez (born 26 April 1956 in Riaño, León, Spain) better known as Imanol Arias, is a Spanish actor and film director. Career Imanol Arias began his career with a travelling theatre group performing in the Basque C ...

Plot

The fiction is set in

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

, in the

Mediterranean coast The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the eas ...

. A nurse (Berta) feels obliged to provide support to her deceased sister's three orphaned children: Raúl and Guillermo (two males members of

neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...

groupuscules), and Lucía (infatuated with Fausto, involved in the smuggling of immigrants to Europe). Berta's love affair with Eduardo (a policeman suffering from

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

and Berta's patient) is disrupted by the latter's suspicion about the brutal murder of an immigrant, which the policeman attributes to Berta's nephews.

Cast

Production

An adaptation of the 1998 play ''Salvajes'' by

, the screenplay was penned by Jorge Juan Martínez, Carlos Molinero, Clara Pérez Escrivá, and Salvador Maldonado. The film was produced by 's production company Brothers & Sisters alongside Passion Walls and Línea Sur PC, and it had the participation of TVE and

Canal+ Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...

Release

Distributed by Alta Classics, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 28 September 2001. It was also selected for the 49th

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in th ...

's 'New Directors' lineup.

Reception

David Rooney of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' deemed the "gritty, gripping tale of fanatical hatred in coastal Valencia" to be "stylishly directed and convincingly performed by a strong cast", adherence to the "vogue for convulsive hand-held camerawork" notwithstanding.

Accolades

, - , rowspan = "3" align = "center" , 2002 , , rowspan = "3" , 16th Goya Awards , ,

Best New Director ''Best New Director'' was an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle from its first inception in 1989 until discontinuing in 1996. There was no award in 1993. 1980s 1989 *Kenneth Branagh – ''Henry V (1989 film), Henry V'' **Runners-up: St ...

, , Carlos Molinero , , , , rowspan = "3" , , - , Best Adapted Screenplay , , Jorge Juan Martínez, Carlos Molinero, Clara Pérez Escrivá, Salvador Maldonado , , , - , Best New Actress , , María Isasi , ,

References

{{authority control Films about neo-Nazis Spanish romantic drama films 2001 romantic drama films 2000s Spanish-language films Films about immigration to Spain Films set in Valencia Films about racism in Spain Spanish films based on plays Films about nurses 2000s Spanish films