''My Name Is Juani'' ( es, Yo soy la Juani, links=no) is a 2006 Spanish drama film directed by

Bigas Luna José Juan Bigas Luna (19 March 1946 – 5 April 2013) was a Spanish film director, designer and artist. His films are typically characterised by a strong emphasis on the erotic, often related to food, something for which he admitted a strong ...

Verónica Echegui Verónica Fernández Echegaray (born 16 June 1983), known professionally as Verónica Echegui, is a Spanish actress. Since making her feature film debut as the title character of the 2006 drama ''My Name Is Juani'' she has featured in films su ...

stars as the title character alongside Dani Martín and Laya Martí.

Plot

Juani comes from a very poor background, having grown up in a slummy neighborhood of

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

. She has problems at home and argues incessantly with her boyfriend, with whom she has been since she was 15. Soon his infidelity and overall uselessness, as well as the limitations of her poor and small town, become unbearable for Juani, a girl with big dreams and aspirations. She and her best friend leave for

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

in search of a better life. At first the big city, a complete opposite of their hometown, couldn't seem to be a better place for their adolescent expectations of life. But their naïve dreams are soon shattered by the ruthlessness of their dream city. In a visit home Juani almost decides she will not return to Madrid, and will instead come back to old relationships and live again in her parents' house. She expresses these sentiments to her mother who tells her that she loves Juani's father, but always asks herself what her life would have been like had she left, like Juani. After speaking to her mother Juani realizes that she can not give up just because she has been having a hard time in Madrid. In a tearful finale, she decides to return to Madrid with less naïve expectations, hoping to escape the abusive relationship she has with her boyfriend and the future she would have were she to stay in her town. The moral of the story becomes clear: never forget what you set out to get, despite the struggles that come your way, and never give up on your dreams.

Cast

Production

The screenplay was penned by Carmen Chaves Gastaldo and Bigas Luna. The film was produced by Media Films and Virgili Films, in association with TVE and TVC.

Release

Distributed by Manga Films, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 20 October 2006.

Accolades

, - , align = "center" rowspan = "3" , 2007 , ,

21st Goya Awards The 21st Annual Goya Awards took place at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos in Madrid, Spain on 28 January 2007. ''Volver ''Volver'' (, meaning "to go back") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The ...

, , Best New Actress , , rowspan = "3" , Verónica Echegui , , , , , - , 51st

Sant Jordi Awards The Sant Jordi Awards ( ca, Premis Sant Jordi, links=no; es, Premios Sant Jordi, links=no) are film prizes awarded annually by the Catalan branch of the Spanish public radio network Radio Nacional de España (RNE), Ràdio 4 Ràdio 4 is a Spani ...

, , Best Spanish Actress , , , , , - ,

16th Actors and Actresses Union Awards The 16th Actors and Actresses Union Awards ceremony was held on 12 February 2007 in Madrid's Palacio Municipal de Congresos. Directed by Mariano de Paco and written by Mariano de Paco, Ignacio García May and Ainhoa Amestoy, the gala was hosted ...

, , Best New Actress , , , ,

References

Bibliography

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External links

* 2006 films 2000s Spanish-language films 2006 drama films Films set in Catalonia Films set in Madrid Films directed by Bigas Luna Spanish drama films 2000s Spanish films {{2000s-Spain-film-stub