First time film actors Janet Novas and Siobhan Fernandes reveal their marvelous screen presences in Jaione Camborda‘s The Rye Horn. This is a film, as films are, about many things, about magic not working, about what happens when we betray someone. Novas plays Maria, who lives in an island near Galicia and wears many hats, including that of a midwife. She has to leave town when one of her patients dies, realizing that she’s taking a treacherous journey during Franco’s rule. While sneaking herself into Portugal, she meets Anabela (Fernandes), who often crosses the border to participate in sex work. Their paths eventually cross again. And their reunion is serendipitous when Maria realizes that she’s pregnant, feeling ambivalent about supporting herself and someone else.
It’s easy to be reductive towards The Rye Horn and call it an issue film. And this is the part of my review where I remind readers of my biases and support for women’s issues. The film, to its credit, knows when to broadcast its message and when to pull back. It also lets us feel danger would belaboring that point. Another great thing about this film its that its the right amount of visceral. It lets us feel the moisture of the earth as Maria digs her fingers into the ground harvesting potatoes, the only kind of work she can get in rural Portugal. Even ‘filler’ scenes have meaning, telling its viewers the relationship between nature, and the rewards of letting pain go.
- Rated: NR
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: 9/10/2023
- Directed by: Jaione Camborda
- Starring: Janet Novás, Siobhan Fernándes
- Produced by: Andrea Vázquez, Jaione Camborda
- Written by: Jaione Camborda
- Studio: Bando à Parte, Miramemira
