Three Voices (Diario a Tres Voces)

The “fairy tale” of romantic love (and subsequent disillusionment) has played itself out in the lives of middle-aged divorcee Nora, teenaged Monserrat, and never-married great-grandmother Aldegunda. Each has moved on, with a view of romance that has evolved over time. The trio share their stories through reminiscence, while also displaying souvenirs of relationships including photographs, jewelry, and clothing. Divorced Nora shows off her designer wedding gown and pictures from her honeymoon, recalling how hopeful and sexy she felt when she was married at 20. Monserrat describes how her romance with a childhood friend fizzled within two months. Spinster Aldegunda remembers herself as an adventurous young woman who was loved by many men—but not her daughter's father. Nora visits a spiritual healer, sings karaoke, and has passing sexual encounters; Monserrat avoids exposure to media in order to protect her own self-esteem; and 90-year-old Aldegunda, confined to a wheelchair, still enjoys a drink and a smoke. Showing how each woman is sustained through social interactions and rites—all celebrate a milestone birthday—the film suggests that social relationships, particularly with other women, are more nurturing and lasting than romantic love. However, Nora's efforts at sexual and spiritual liberation come across as strained, and Aldegunda, who is obviously slipping into senility, is patronized by her attendants. Only Monserrat, with her future still ahead of her, seems truly content. Filmmaker Otilia Portillo Padua, an architect, focuses her camera artfully on the colorful spaces that these three women inhabit, along with the possessions by which they mark relationships and events. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)