The Sleeping Voice

Photo

The Sleeping Voice

Photo

The Sleeping Voice

Photo

The Sleeping Voice

Film Info

Spain 2012 Director: Benito Zambrano

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Project / Host

European Film Awards

The Sleeping Voice

Synopsis

Hortensia, inmate of a women’s prison, is pregnant. She has been sentenced to death for helping her husband Felipe who is still fighting in the resistance movement against Franco. The execution will not be carried out until she has given birth. Her sister Pepita has come from Cordoba to be by her side. During her stay in Madrid she − unintentionally and against her will − becomes a bridge between the prisoners and the resistance fighters. She struggles with this new role, but eventually accepts it and, moreover, she falls in love with Paulino, one of Felipe’s underground comrades. Soon Pepita − frank and open-hearted − has to fight not only for her sister’s life but also for those of Paulino and her unborn niece, ultimately risking her own life. This is the story about two sisters, their hopes, love and injustice in wartime.

Cast & Crew

Director

Benito Zambrano
Producer

Benito Zambrano, Antonio Pérez
Screenwriter

Benito Zambrano (based on the novel by Dulce Chacón)
Director of photography

Alex Catalán
Main Cast

Inma Cuesta (Hortensia), María León (Pepita), Marc Clotet (Paulino), Daniel Holguín (Felipe), Ana Wagener (Mercedes)
Editor (Cut)

Fernando Pardo
Original Score

Carmen Agredano
Production Design

Javier Fernandez

Director's comment

I was buried in the script of HAVANA BLUES when a friend told me about a fantastic book she was reading. Overcome by curiosity while taking a break from writing, I ventured to read a few pages of this supposedly amazing novel.
In effect, I only needed to read a few pages to realise that I had before me a truly extraordinary work. To prevent it from interfering with my work in progress, I forced myself, with great effort, to stop reading. I purchased the novel but left it untouched for several months until one day, or more precisely, one night, I found myself sleepless and decided to start reading again. And that is when I fell in love with Dulce Chacón’s novel. Each paragraph filled me with emotion, every page abounded with cinematrographic images. I have rarely felt anything like this before. Until that night, I had never considered adapting a novel.
Ever since I read the novel, I felt with absolute clarity that this was an extraordinary story, an incredible tale full of truth and feeling. Overflowing with compassion and suffering. Of hate and love.