Babygirl

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Set in an upper-class neighborhood of the Dominican Republic, Babygirl is an unsettling portrait of a middle-aged woman, Dominique, and her relations with family, servants, and entourage.

From the very first scene, the film manages to astutely depict her privilege and buried longings. As a woman whose identity is deeply attached to her role, Dominique finds herself alone after the departure of her children. One day, the maid brings home her granddaughter and, shortly after, inexplicably disappears. The little girl re-awakens Dominique’s maternal instinct – but neither her relatives nor her friends seem to think it a good decision to keep her.

With neat precision and calculated detachment, Babygirl paints a society of strong racial and class differences. Appearances and disappearances are shrouded in mystery; hints at corporate corruption are left unresolved; and nods to Lucrecia Martel’s The Headless Woman (2008) can be felt.

“A sophisticated and subtle study of class and race tensions in the Dominican Republic. In the film, Guzmán avoids the temptation to indict her characters. Instead, she constructs a narrative that strongly favors ambiguity, showing just how interconnected are the worlds of rich and poor, black and white.” — Ena Alvarado, Americas Quarterly

“An unostentatious, subtle film, with much going on below the surface. Amidst social gatherings, video calls with the absent sons and moments of lonely idleness, Dominique’s deep unfulfillment pervades the film, while the threat of catastrophe looms in the background.” — Cristina Álvarez López, IFFR Film Festival

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Main credits

Guzmán, Laura Amelia (film director)
Guzmán, Laura Amelia (screenwriter)
Cárdenas, Israel (screenwriter)
Cárdenas, Israel (film producer)
Muñoz, Rafael Elias (film producer)
Pérez Báez, Sarah (film producer)
García, Cecilia (actor)
Vásquez, Aleska (actor)
Fortuna, Xiomara (actor)

Other credits

Cinematography and editing, Israel Cárdenas; music, Pedro Guzmán, Pablo Chea.

MARC Record See Worldcat record

Keywords

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