Synopsis
Spanish with English subtitles- Spanish language audio description available *
With Cecile Van Welie, Magnolia Núñez, Adelanny Padilla
Featuring striking cinematography and outstanding performances, Carajita (which means annoying child) explores the tenuous relationship that exists between race, class, and family.
Sarah, the pampered daughter of a corrupt oligarch whose family recently relocated to Las Terrenas, thinks of her Black Dominican nanny, Yarisa, as “part of the family.” The two have a “mother-daughter-like” relationship that transcends their social standing. That illusion is put to the test when Yarisa’s spirited daughter Mallory goes missing, challenging Sarah’s naïve beliefs.
Boasting intuitive storytelling and confident direction, Carajita plays like a psychological thriller, deriving oppressive tension from unspoken inequalities and the impunity of privilege.
* Spanish language audio description available via All4Access App and/or .wav file when purchasing a DSL license.
Accessibility for these films was created by DICAPTA and funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education- Office of Special Education-OSEP, project “Enhanced Access to Video for Students with Sensory Disabilities through Emerging Technology,” TV Access H327C210001.
Press
“This film would be valuable viewing for courses that focus on Latin American studies, particularly regarding privilege and race/class divisions, and film courses, as the cinematography, pacing, and symbolism make this piece ripe for discussion.” – Mary Kamela, Student Support and Engagement Librarian, University at Buffalo, EMRO
“Carajita starts strong, unfolds at the speed of gunpowder and ends with a tremendous final explosion. Taking the viewer's breath away with its opening scene (literally), Argentinian director Silvina Schnicer and Catalan Ulises Porra raise the bar of their mastery even higher.” – Carlos Loureda, Fotogramas
“The agonies of the Caribbean’s colonial legacy are examined with aesthetic elegance and unsettling elusiveness in Carajita. The duo offers a potent, visually gorgeous and sometimes potently enigmatic drama.” – Jonathan Romney, Screendaily
“The title of this powerful film refers to an annoying child or, in a less usual way, to adults who behave like children. Carajita joins its definition to a narration crossed by the economic, social and cultural asymmetries represented by the intramural relationship with the domestic service.” – Pablo De Vita, La Nacion
Notes on the Film
“The structure of our lives depends on our social position. We didn’t want to judge Sarah, Yarisa, or Sarah’s family. We just wanted to look critically at the system. In the Dominican Republic, the ruling class, mostly whites, represents 2% or so of the population. Every character does what they’re programmed to do. At the same time, individually, each character is trying to do their best with the tools that they have.
This movie was begging us not to have a naïve message. In 99% of situations like this, the powerful are free and the powerless don’t find justice. But, hopefully, in the case of Sarah, she may realise that the path she chose comes to an end.”
– Ulises Porra & Silvina Schnicer, Directors
