HEROINA (HEROINE)
Spain, 2005, 110 minutes, Colour.
Adriana Azores, Javier Pereira.
Directed by Gerardo Herrero.
Heroina is a Spanish drama, a film with a campaign against heroin addicts and addiction. It is compassionate insofar as the focus – and an ambiguous play on words with heroin and heroine – is a mother who discovers that the son she loves is not only an addict but a liar and a thief. She has to face judgments about how she will handle the situation, the combination of love as well as harsh attitudes and behaviour in trying to get her son off the drugs.
Adriana Ozores won the award for best actress at the Montreal Film Festival, 2005. She portrays a mother who is shocked to find what has happened to her son, alienates her husband as she tries to move him to act against her son, even allowing him to go to jail.
The film is also about her own journey, the initial shock, her questioning of herself and her parenting, her going to psychologists for advice and finding a group of men and women in similar situations. The film, set in the 80s, shows her as a leading campaigner concerning the prohibition of drugs and police action against drug dealers. The film also shows corrupt dealers, millionaire dealers living in luxury as well as those who run the bars where drugs are dealt.
The film has its harrowing moments – although, in a passionate Hispanic way, it becomes not only a drama but also a propaganda film against drug dealers. This undermines its impact for a more matter-of-fact audience, not willing to be so caught up in the emotions and feeling manipulated. However, it is a worthy film with a worthy cause.
1. The title, the reference to the drug, Pilar as heroine?
2. The dedication of the film, to the mothers, based on a true story, a tribute? The film as worthy, a cause, a crusade film? The effect of the crusade on the structure and dramatising of the film?
3. The re-creation of the 80s and 90s, Spain, Galicia, the city of Vigo? Its environs, homes, bars, prisons and the courts? The musical score?
4. The focus on Fito: on the train with his friends, getting off, with his mother, the revelation of his addiction? At home, moody and erratic? Stealing from his brothers, from his parents, selling the family cutlery etc? Going out, at the bars, the drug dealers? The robbery, his being set up, arrested? In prison, the treatment, in the cold in the van overnight, his parents giving him the blanket? His relationship with his parents, going court, inside the jail, its roughness, his being hit on? His mother’s visits? The long sentence? The years passing, coming out, surface repentance, the reality of his going back on drugs instantly, needing the money, getting his mother to trust him? The next bank robbery, the evidence of the car? His being released, willingness to go to the rehabilitation centre? Portrait of a young addict, victim of the exploiters, ill? The final hope or not?
5. The reality of drugs, the availability, heroin, the dealers in the bars, the addicts on the streets, Pilar and her search for her son in the squalor of the city, the world of the dealers, the wealthy top men, political corruption, police corruption? The judge and his decisions? The imprisonment of Pilar and Fina?
6. Pilar, her desperation, taking her son to the psychologist, meeting the other parents? The group and the crusade? The friendship with Fina? The psychologist and his support? The protests, the banners, the singing of the songs? Outside the bars, the reaction of the dealers? Outside the courts? Their office, their centre? Their being ejected from the court? The journalist, friendship with Pilar, seeing her as a spokesperson, her television appearances, radio interviews? The growth of the group over the years? Outside the boss’s mansion? The dangers, the threats, the perseverance of the group and its effect?
7. The portrait of Pilar as heroine: seeing her at the station, with her son, at home, with her two sons, husband? Her response to Vito, always concerned about him, the neglect of the others? Covering his stealing? An emotional woman, with the psychologist, with the other mothers? Her involvement with the group, growing activity, the protests, working with the journalist? This protest changing her personality, the touch of the TV celebrity, watching herself? Her neglect of her husband, his response? The other two boys? The husband and his comment that she was pampering her son? His wanting support, sexual support? Her statements? The protests, the confrontation of the drug dealers? The meeting in the church, the speeches, the dealers and the bars, their mercenary attitudes, the addict and his speech? At the court? Her being arrested with Fina, the humiliation, in the cell? The support of the other prisoners? The release? The political implications, her thinking of being a council woman? The clash with Fina and her taunts? The centre, the years passing, the need for support, finance? At home, the death threats? With Fina in the car and the brakes loose? Vito and the visits to the prison, his getting out, her believing him, his disappointing her? Her feeling alone, the discussions with her husband? Their getting the car and hiding it, the numberplate in the river? Her supporting Vito as he came out of prison?
8. Pilar and her image of herself, trying to do the right thing, seeing her son as a victim, the critique by her husband that she was more gracious to others than to her family? A strong woman – also blinded to her own faults?
9. The portrait of the husband, the banker, long-suffering, his concern about his son, not expressing himself so articulately? His support of his wife, the growing alienation, sharing so much with her, with the two boys? Coming out of prison and his being there? Wanting some kind of sexual rapport? Her being busy? The talk at the waterfront, his clear critique of her? The younger son, his life, affected by his brother? Manuel and his being robbed by his brother, his angers? His answer to the death threat on the phone?
10. Fina, her sons, desperate, her daughter? At the psychologist’s? Her protests? The funeral and her grief? Her anger with Pilar and taunting her about her political ambitions? Their reconciliation? Pilar and her insistence that Fina come down from the gate at the mansion? The other members of the group, the range of parents, their work, interviews? The psychologist and his continued support?
11. The sketch of the drug addicts, their age, experience, being hooked, their doing the deals, stealing, with the police, their personalities, their dependence, their betrayal of each other?
12. The dealers, owning the bars, their contempt for the protesters, the going to the meeting in the church, their double standards? Talking about being mugged, having to make a living? The boss, his mansion, his wealth, his influence with the police, the judge? The erasing of the tape and the manipulated evidence?
13. The portrait of the courts, the judges? Evidence, appeals? The police, some sympathetic, some contemptuous, their treatment of Vito, their treatment of Pilar and Fina?
14. The overall impact of the film, its earnest protest against the dealers, corruption? A crusading film with moments of powerful drama?
