The dark thriller Blanquita, Chile’s official Oscar entry for 2022, made its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won “Best Screenplay” for writer-director Fernando Guzzoni. Now, the film is set to open in select US theaters this December.
Young actress Laura López makes her film debut as an “18-year-old resident of a foster home who is a key witness in a trial against powerful politicians and businessmen implicated in a child sex scandal. As questions are asked, her role in the scandal becomes unclear.”
Award-winning veteran actor Alejandro Goic co-stars as the priest who runs the home where the young woman lives. The cast also includes Amparo Noguera, Marcelo Alonso, and Daniela Ramirez.
The feature is inspired by the real-life early 2000s Spiniak Case involving a child prostitution ring that provided services to several high-placed politicians and businessmen in Chile. The case divided public opinion in Chile as it went through the courts, with doubts being cast on the testimony of a key witness who was caught up in the ring as a minor and accused two senators of abusing her. Guzzoni spent a year investigating the case in-depth before writing his screenplay.
Blanquita will be screening Friday, December 9, at Cinema Village in New York City and at Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles.
