Cinema – »Reinas«: The last memories of Lima

Adolescents need coping strategies given the many trouble spots in the world. In the Generation section at the Berlinale there are always many cinematic bright spots that not only show, in an age-appropriate manner, how much social conditions influence the lives of all children and young people, but also how one can deal with them realistically. Unfortunately, these great children’s films far too rarely make their way into cinemas. Klaudia Reynicke’s “Reinas” is one such film that was fortunately spared this fate.

Her complex coming-of-age story takes place during the political unrest in Peru in the early 1990s: the country is ruled by fascists and the insurgent group “Shining Path” repeatedly carries out terrorist attacks. The result is nighttime curfews, inflation is rising and the economy is weakening.

The director was born and grew up in Lima before emigrating with her family and living in Switzerland and the USA. In her film she focuses on the development of the entire family – and not, as is usual in the coming-of-age genre, just on that of her child protagonists. It shows how all family members – especially a child-headed father – go through an exciting development under these difficult circumstances. Reynicke rightly received the Grand Jury Prize in the Generation Kplus section at this year’s Berlinale – the film will also represent Switzerland in the Best International Film category at the 2025 Oscars.

Ten-year-old Aurora and Lucía, who has just turned 15, are growing up in very privileged circumstances in Lima, but their family is also increasingly feeling the consequences of the political situation. Constant power outages, strict curfews, protest marches and news of attacks on the radio repeatedly cloud people’s joy of life and create a diffuse atmosphere of fear that covers the country like a paralyzing veil.

The mother of the two has therefore decided to emigrate to the USA. She already has a job lined up, all that is missing is the father’s signature on the exit permit. But Carlos (Gonzalo Molina), from whom Elena (Jimena Lindo) separated a long time ago, is an unreliable man and a notorious liar. He actually makes a rough living as a taxi driver and security guard, but depending on his mood he claims to be an actor, a crocodile hunter or even a secret agent. Elena’s mother, played by Almodovar veteran Susi Sánchez, despises “El Loco” – the crazy man who is also dirt poor.

Aurora and Lucía grow up in privileged circumstances in Lima, but their family is increasingly feeling the consequences of the political situation.

Nevertheless, Elena encourages her ex-husband to spend the three weeks before her departure with his estranged daughters. Reinas – queens – he calls the daughters. And they initially behave extremely skeptically towards their father, who hasn’t cared about them for years.

But it’s summer and the girls are bored, so they agree to be taken to the beach by their father in his junk car. His tall tales annoy and amuse her at the same time, but at least Carlos persuades a street vendor to trade an old car tire for swimsuits for his daughters. Once he even convinced an acquaintance to lend him his off-road vehicle so that he could take his “queens” on a breakneck ride over the dunes. Little by little, the sisters come to trust the cheerful survivor who apparently cares about them. How he became this out-and-out lying baron is left to the imagination.

You can feel, reinforced by the seemingly faded color palette, how Carlos is desperately trying to give his daughters a few more beautiful memories of him. But he is increasingly wondering whether he should let her go at all – and his daughters are also having doubts. More than once, Carlos skips the notary appointment where he would have to sign the travel documents.

The film cleverly switches between the perspectives of the sisters – who have a close relationship despite their age difference – and their father. But the mother also goes through an important development. The chaotic situation in the country, shown primarily through the eyes of its young protagonists, affects each of them and their family dynamics.

The director, who shows a fine sense of leading actors, can fully rely on her great ensemble, especially on Luana Vega and Abril Gjurinovic, who embody the sisters, as well as on Molina as Carlos.

By acknowledging the harsh reality in this subtle drama, the parents and their daughters grow closer together as a family.

»Queens«: Schweiz, Peru, Spanien 2023. Regie: Klaudia Reynicke, Buch: Klaudia Reynicke, Diego Vega. Mit: Abril Gjurinovic, Luana Vega, Gonzalo Molina, Jimena Lindo, SusiI Sánchez. Kinostart: 5.12.