CAMINO

Spain, 2008, 138 minutes, Colour.
Carme Elias, Mariano Venancio.
Directed by Javier Fesser.
Camino is a strong an interesting film. It caused quite some controversy on its release. Its subject is the death of a young teenage girl, suffering from her disease and considered a martyr by her mother, her mother’s friends and, especially, the clergy and members of Opus Dei.
While the film can be seen without a great deal of knowledge about Opus Dei, it is important for the themes of the film. Opus Dei emerged in Spain in the 1920s, a way of life for clergy and laity, but with a strong sense of order, discipline and asceticism in prayer and spiritual practices. This is made very clear in the film, especially with the mother, the daughter who joins a community, the ethos of the response to the little girl’s illness. She is called Camino, which is the title of the book of spirituality for the movement.
While the film is based on a serious events, there were criticism of the writer-director for changing a perspective on the dying girl. While she calls out the name of Jesus on her sick-bed, the audience knows that she refers to a young boy called Jesus that she has met at school, admired in rehearsals for a play, danced with him. This makes for ironic criticism of the presuppositions of Opus Dei.
The film is well-acted, persuasive in his presence of the events. However, it is particularly Spanish and audiences have to adapt to understanding of Spanish traditions as well as religious customs.
For those reflecting on unthinking traditional piety which borders on superstitious, the film has a great deal to offer.
Almodovar’s film, Matador, is an attack on Opus Dei; Roland Joffe’s There Will Be Dragons is a sympathetic picture of the founder, Josemaria Escriva and his life.

1. The impact of the film? For Catholics? Non-Catholics? Spanish audiences?
2. Based on a true story, the elaboration and adaptation of the story? The issues of whether it was appropriate to tell the story on screen?
3. Opus Dei, audience knowledge of the movement, attitude for or against, the attitudes of popular media, attitudes within the church? Within Spain? Acclaim? Critique?
4. The membership of Opus Dei, stern, lay, clerical, the role and separation of women? Leaving the spirituality in personal life? In community? The strictness, the austerity, detachment? The penitential practices? The sacrificing family? Against worldliness? The spiritual dimensions, theological dimensions, psychological?
5. The language of the movement? Piety, devotion? Language and a cord, Jesus, Mary? Statuary and images? Audience response to the piety and asceticism? The words and behaviour of the mother? The life of the sister in community, her expressions of the ethos, her visit to Camino and her sacrificial attitude?
6. The opening, Camino and the significance of her name, the way? The presence of Opus Dei, the girl of belonging to the movement? Brainwashing and her prayer and behaviour, being a martyr? Her parents and their presence? Her sister? Illness, dying? The people’s use of a language of Jesus, that the girl was a saint, the nature of her suffering, joy in suffering?
7. The irony of the ending, Camino and her imagination? Spiritual, but not thinking of Jesus, thinking of the boy and the dance? Imagining heaven? Her age and sexual awakening?
8. The interpretation by the members of the family, by the clergy? By neighbours?
9. The past, Camino and her age, at home, her relationship with her parents, vivacious, with her sister, the dead brother? At school, friends? Her father filming her, delight?
10. The contrast with her mother, stern, strict? Possessive of her husband? The continued devotions, prayer? Control of her daughter? Her son’s death? Her friends, their conversation and religion, gatherings, meals? The importance of the clergy and their presence? Her examination of conscience, confessing?
11. The father, ordinary, at work, filming, loving and patient?
12. Camino’s illness, her collapse? The role of the doctors, the hospital sequences, not diagnosing correctly, her pain and sacrifice, the needles? The treatment by the specialists? Examinations? Opus Dei and the misdiagnosis? The prospect of death? Of the saint?
13. Her friends in school, laughing, mocking, offhand? Friendships and clashes? Theatrical experience? The young man called Jesus? The visits, talk, the play, Cinderella, her wanting to be in the play? Her mother’s reaction? Forbidding?
14. Dramatisation of her dreams, nightmares, the psychological dimension?
15. The decision to transfer Camino despite the severe illness? The hardships of the journey? Her attitudes, fear, hopes, the role of the doctors, of the priests?
16. Camino and her friends, the play, rehearsals, her watching, Jesus and his acting, the letter, her mother concealing it, her father and his taking it?
17. The father, at the bakery, going to see Jesus, the letter and his taking it?
18. The accident, the pathos, depriving Camino of the letter? Yet her imagination, Jesus and the attraction, saying his name and its being misinterpreted, dancing with him?
19. Her death, the pain? The response of those around? Canonising her?
20. An image of God? Cruel? Suffering?
21. The critical responses to the film, for and against? The film and its critique of this kind of piety and devotion? Offering alternatives, and a sense of down-to-earth realism?