THE MAID (La nana) (CERT. 15)
CHILE-MEXICO 2009 DIRECTED BY SEBASTIÁN SILVA
COLOUR 1h 35m
WITH: CATALINA SAAVEDRA, CLAUDIA CELEDÓN, ALEJANDRO GOIC
A family’s long-serving and diligent maid evidently resents attempts to integrate her more into
household celebrations, and actively resists the introduction of some assistance when her health
begins to suffer.
Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival
‘An exceptional study of the emotional investment that domestics make in the families they serve … Saavedra
is mesmerising as she shifts from subservient to scheming, with Silva’s delicate touch ensuring that she remains
sympathetic.’ – David Parkinson, Radio Times Guide to Films
‘A tense, engrossing character-study with a sometimes boldly repellent performance by Catalina Saavedra in the
title role … a sharply cut gem.’ – Justin Chang, Variety
‘Saavedra, who ironically has portrayed numerous maids on Chilean TV, gives an astonishingly complex
performance, her painfully pinched, goggle-eyed expression seeming to cap volcanic rage.’ – Demetrios
Matheou, Sight & Sound
‘A portrait of how an enthusiastic woman brings freshness and novelty into the life of a long-term maid who
has sunk into exhaustion and depression.’ – Frederick & Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice