LEONERA (LION'S DEN) Spanish
The Story:
It all started when a pregnant Julia (Martina Gusman), a university student wakes up on her apartment couch with blood on her hands. Dazed, and fully unaware that anything drastic has happened, she takes a quick shower and hustles off to the university.Upon returning home, Julia finds her lover-boyfriend lying dead of knife wounds in the bedroom. Next to him, also lying in a pool of blood, is her boyfriend's seriously wounded gay lover, Ramiro (Roderigo santoro).When the police arrive, Julia is arrested for the murder. Although she cannot remember exactly what had happened, she is sure that she did not commit the murder. Her pregnancy, itself, is her argument; why would she want to kill the father? During the initial court hearings, Ramiro testifies against her. Since she is pregnant, Julia is not sent to a women's prison for hardcore offenders, but to a half-way "lion's den" until the date for the official trial is set.
Her character begins to change. From a taciturn, stand-offish rebel who hates her unborn child, Julia slowly awakens to the thrill of childbirth.Her son Tomas (Tomás Plotinsky) becomes a treasure who needs all the help she can offer.Meanwhile, Julia's estranged mother, Sofia (Elli Medeiros), appears on the scene. After neglecting her own daughter for many years while living abroad, Sofia, too, suddenly takes an interest in Tomas. The affection doesn't sit well with Julia.By this time, Julia has hardened into a lioness ready to fight to keep her child by any means possible. Her fiery spirit, moreover, has made her friends in prison. Marta (Laura Garcia), a prison-mate with whom Julia has developed a lasting friendship, helps Julia hatch a scheme to get out of prison - and Tomas away from the clutches of Julia's domineering mother.
When the day of the trial arrives, Romiro saves his own neck by again putting all the blame for the murder on Julia. As is apparently typical of trials in Argentina these days, and despite a veteran feminist lawyer arguing Julia's case, she loses. She is sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter.
Julia knows she cannot trust her mother to raise her child in her stead. So when Tomas spends some time out of prison with his grandmother, her nerves break, and she instigates a rebellion in prison to get her son back.
With the help of her friend Marta, who had served her term and is now on the outside, Julia waits for the day when visiting rights are allowed. Once outside the prison, she dupes her probation guard, hails a taxi and heads for the bus station. There, Marta is waiting to give her false identity papers to escape over the border...
Starring:
Martina Gusman, Rodrigo Santoro, Elli Medeiros, Laura García, Tomás Plotinsky, Leonardo Sauma
Directed By:
Pablo Trapero
Release:
2009
Watch the Trailer:
