The Chosen Ones (2015 film)

The Chosen Ones (Spanish: Las elegidas) is a 2015 Mexican drama film directed by David Pablos. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2] The film was named on the shortlist for Mexico's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.[3]

The Chosen Ones
Directed byDavid Pablos
Release date
  • 18 May 2015 (2015-05-18) (Cannes)
  • 22 April 2016 (2016-04-22) (Mexico)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryMexico
LanguageSpanish

Plot

Teenagers Ulysis (Oscar Torres) and Sofia (Nancy Talamantes) are in a relationship. It is revealed that Ulysis is being groomed by his family to entrap his young lovers into the prostitution ring that forms his family's business. Having fallen for Sofia, his first lover, Ulysis puts up an unsuccessful fight to prevent her from being exploited. His father agrees to let Sofia free only when Ulysis gets another young girl to replace her in the brothel. Thus he sets toward honeytrapping his next victim.

Meanwhile, Sofia is forced into sexual slavery and is losing hope after seeing that her possibility of escape is very slim. By chance she encounters a good samaritan pretending to be a client who plans to help her escape; but before she has a chance to act Ulysis arrives and takes Sofia away to live with him having forced another girl, Marta, to take her place.

Sofia is then forced by Ulysis's family to stay with him as her "saviour" and told that she will help care for the children of the house(some of whom are hostages because they are the children of other enslaved women) and she cannot see her family or she may be returned to the brothel. Sofia is traumatized by the horrific abuse she has endured and is not the same carefree girl that Ulysis remembers. She also realizes another girl has been trapped by Ulysis as her replacement and struggles with this thought. Ulysis seems to feel grief over what has happened but besides making her his in the eyes of his family makes no effort to free her. The film ends with Sofia and Ulysis on a deceptively normal outing with Ulysis's family; Sofia sits silently in fear across from Ulysis.

Critical reception

The film was well received by critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 85% of 26 critics gave the film a positive review, for an average rating of 8/10.[4]

Awards and nominations
Award Category Nominee Result
58th Ariel Awards[5]
Best Art Direction Daniela Schneider Nominated
Best Cinematography Carolina Costa Won
Best Costume Design Daniela Schneider Nominated
Best Director David Pablos Won
Best Editing Miguel Schverdfinger, Aina Calleja Nominated
Best Make-Up Nayeli Mora Nominated
Best Original Score Carlo Ayhllón Nominated
Best Original Screenplay David Pablos Won
Best Picture Las Elegidas Won
Best Sound Alejandro de Icaza, Pablo Tamez Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Alicia Quiñonez Nominated
Breakthrough Male Performance Óscar Torres Nominated
Breakthrough Female Performance Nancy Talamantes Won
Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard David Pablos Nominated
San Sebastián International Film Festival Horizons Award David Pablos Nominated
Stockholm International Film Festival Bronze Horse - Best Film David Pablos Nominated
Zurich Film Festival Best International Feature Film David Pablos Nominated
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References
  1. "2015 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  2. "Screenings Guide". Festival de Cannes. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. Pacheco, Arturo. "Goya y Oscar - AMACC". Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  4. "The Chosen Ones (Las elegidas)". 18 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  5. Magaña, Arturo (13 April 2016). "Nominados al Ariel 2016". Cine Premiere (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2016.
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