Em dic Sara (1998)

Director:

Dolores Payás

Writer:

Dolores Payás (writer)

Release Date:

21 May 1999 (Spain)

Tagline:

Por fin alguien habla de nosotras.

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Elvira Mínguez	...	Sara
François-Eric Gendron	...	Adrián
Jeannine Mestre	...	Julia
Chete Lera	...	Simón
Eulalia Ramón	...	Susana
Vicky Peña	...	Elvira
Pepa López	...	Teresa
Abel Vitón	...	Quintín
Montse Custodio	...	Lucía
Elena Castells	...	Gina
Concha Hidalgo	...	Vagabunda
Carmen Fortuny	...	Matilde
Pep Ferrer	...	Octavio
Ángel de Andrés López	...	Pancho
Gemma Cuervo	...	Madre de Sara
Juan Díaz	...	Eduardo
Kim Roura	...	Bruno
Miguel Insua	...	Banquero (as Miguel Insúa)
Vic Gil	...	Policía
Marta Ribas	...	Borracha
Daniela Costa	...	Lulú
Núria Cano	...	Hermana
Gloria Adelantado	...	Amante
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vicente Gil	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Dolores Payás

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dolores Payás		writer

Produced by
Ricard Figueras	....	executive producer
Ricard Figueras	....	producer

Original Music by
Javier Navarrete

Cinematography by
Andreu Rebés

Film Editing by
Pedro Abadal

Art Direction by
Gabriel Carrascal

Set Decoration by
Gabriel Carrascal

Costume Design by
Juana Aguirre

Makeup Department
Glòria Peruga	....	hair stylist
Susi Rodríguez	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Josep Amorós	....	production manager
Isabel Caralt	....	second assistant production manager
Emmanuelle Stumple	....	first assistant production manager
Cris F. Vila	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Josep Maria Arbusí	....	second assistant director
Pedro Comesaña	....	first assistant director
Ainara Gamero	....	trainee assistant director
Eloi Sánchez	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Layach Banourgui	....	property master
Layachi Banourgui	....	assistant property master
Eduard Fábregas	....	set decorator trainee
Venancio de Lucas	....	assistant set decorator
Mercè Parés	....	property master
Eduard Rodergas	....	props (as Eduardo Rodergas)

Sound Department
Juan Dibarboure	....	boom operator
Dani Fontrodona	....	direct sound
Dani Fontrodona	....	sound editor
Manuel Lizancos	....	sound effects editor
Alex López	....	sound mixer
Marcos Martínez	....	sound mixer
Javier Navarrete	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Eduard Aguiló	....	electrician
Mireia Beumala	....	video assistant
Elisenda Cardona	....	first assistant camera
Elisenda Cardona	....	focus puller
Carles Guerrero	....	key grip (as Carlos Guerrero)
Carlos Guerrero	....	grip
Javier Guerrero	....	electrician
Javier Guerreto	....	electrician
Guillem Huertas	....	second assistant camera
Joan Morató	....	Steadicam operator
Laura Pont	....	still photographer
José Luis Rodríguez	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carmen González	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Álvaro Delgado	....	assistant editor: avid
Álvaro Delgado	....	assistant editor: avid

Music Department
Roger Blavía	....	musician: percussion
Oriol Camprodón	....	musician: clarinet
Olvido Lanza	....	musician: violin
Marisol Nievas	....	music editor
Quim Oller	....	musician: flute
Rafael Sala	....	musician: cello
Mauricio Villavecchia	....	musician: accordion

Other crew
Patricia Bonet	....	production assistant
Víctor Cavaller	....	production assistant
Ana Jiménez	....	production assistant
Oriol Marcos	....	production assistant
Goretti Pagès	....	production assistant
Josep María Pintó	....	cashier
Anna M. Robles	....	production secretary
Cris F. Vila	....	stage manager
Núria Villazán	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Cristina Baeza	....	thanks
José Luis Borau	....	special thanks
Daniel Caño	....	thanks (as Dani Caño)
Ana María Chagra	....	thanks
Claudia	....	dedicatee
Cláudia	....	dedicatee
Silvio Cristofol	....	thanks
Julieta Cruzán	....	thanks
Carmen Garolera	....	thanks
Encarnación Martín	....	thanks
Pierre Michaelis	....	thanks
Clara Payás	....	thanks
Josep Maria Pou	....	special thanks (as Josep María Pou)
Quico Pujol	....	thanks
Hermanos Salvador	....	thanks
Font Selva	....	thanks
Jorge Termes	....	thanks
Torres	....	thanks
Torres	....	thanks
Albert Tramunt	....	thanks
Luis Villuendas	....	thanks

Production Companies

• In Vitro Films

Distributors

• JLA (France)
• Sociedad General de Derechos Audiovisuales (SOGEDASA) (Spain)

Also Known As:

Me llamo Sara (Spain: Castilian title)

Runtime:

106 min | France:90 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Catalan

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

France:U | Spain:T

Company:

In Vitro Films

Thinking about the bars you confirm your own prison

However much men may need women and women may need men, I often think we live on different planets, and this has rarely been more powerfully stated (or even overstated) than in <Em Dic Sara> (Me Llamo Sara, 1999). Very much a product of the Catalonian director Dolors Payás, Sara represents many women today who find themselves trapped in the lives they themselves have constructed around them. Sara at 40 finds herself in the comfortable routine of a good job she likes, having a regular man she loves, and an adolescent daughter who is not so easy to handle. There is something missing, and frankly it is just simple sex, excitement, that is lacking, and at forty Sara is not too old for a jolly good adventure.

Sara, excellently played by Elvira Mínguez, who also had roles in La Buena Estrella (1997) (qv) and Lágrimas Negras (1998) (qv) where she was completely overshadowed by the tour de force displayed by Ariadna Gil, is well counterbalanced by Gina, her adolescent daughter, nicely carried out by Elena Castells. Indeed, it is almost as if Sara is bent on living a second adolescency, years after having been a single mother. The contrasts are clear: Gina´s problems include a young fellow who behaves obscenely on the phone, whereas Sara needs something more than the well-established love of her companion (François-Eric Gendron). After all, as Tina Turner used to sing – `What's Love Got To Do With It?'

Evidently a film of a rather feminist cut, Payás carries out a recommendable piece of work, both in writing the script and directing the film. Mínguez and the young Elena Castells come up to the mark really well and the mother-daughter coupling is entirely convincing. However, Gendron and Chete Lera were given the rather despective task of being comfortable insipid males with a somewhat played-down protagonism. Apart from this the characteriology is well perceived and carried out, including among the secondary actresses.

Javier Navarrete's music accompanies well, using a couple of leit-motifs, but not overly, with one sounding like a fragment from Paganini's Capriccio Nº 24. There are certain other inspirations which are obviously from more Spanish or Catalonian origins, and on the whole tone in to the proceedings.

Elvira Mínguez is quoted as having said in an interview (my translation): << Men are afraid of women who have power. In the last century women have evolved very quickly and today men must face up to this complex question and assume a relationship of companionship. Every day more and more women are alone (lonely?) and this is very significant – something is not working. It is a global problem and I hope one day we (men and women) will get to understand each other. >> This is especially the case in Spain today due to the rapid rate with which it has undergone enormous economic and social change in barely twenty five years.

The film was made in the Catalonian language, but as far as I know it only reached the rest of Spain in the dubbed version in Spanish.