Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

Dearest Maria

Dearest Maria is a 2004 Spanish drama film directed by José Luis García Sánchez from a screenplay by Rafael Azcona based on the figure of María Zambrano. It stars María Botto and Pilar Bardem.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
471 w
Citations
19
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Dearest Maria
Theatrical release poster
SpanishMaría querida
Directed byJosé Luis García Sánchez
Screenplay byRafael Azcona
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJuan Amorós
Edited byVanesa L. Marimbert
Music byAntonio Meliveo
Production
companies
  • Maestranza Films
  • Redacción 7 Andalucía
Distributed byAlta Films
Release dates
  • 24 October 2004 (2004-10-24) (Seminci)
  • 29 October 2004 (2004-10-29) (Spain)
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

Dearest Maria (Spanish: María querida) is a 2004 Spanish drama film directed by José Luis García Sánchez from a screenplay by Rafael Azcona based on the figure of María Zambrano. It stars María Botto and Pilar Bardem.

Plot

The plot takes place between 1989 and 1991.1 Journalist Lola meets author María Zambrano in 1989, upon Zambrano's reception of the Cervantes Prize, leading Lola to make Zambrano's biopic.23

Cast

Production

The film is a Maestranza Films and Redacción 7 Andalucía production.9

Release

The film premiered in competition at the 49th Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci) on 24 October 2004.10 Distributed by Alta Films,3 it was released theatrically in Spain on 29 October 2004.11

Reception

Jonathan Holland of Variety wrote that García Sánchez "fails for the most part to galvanize the potential high drama".3

Casimiro Torreiro of El País wrote that the film "will go down in the annals as a worthy effort to didactically marry cinema for the general public with the usual rigor of documentary editing".12

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2004
 49th Valladolid International Film Festival Best Actress Pilar Bardem Won
13
2005
 19th Goya Awards Best Actress Nominated
14
14th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Film Actress in a Leading Role Nominated
1516
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Durán Manso 2023, p. 240.
  2. Durán Manso 2023, p. 225.
  3. Holland, Jonathan (14 November 2004). "Dearest Maria". Variety.
  4. Durán Manso 2023, p. 234.
  5. Durán Manso 2023, p. 237.
  6. Durán Manso, Valeriano (2023). "Andaluzas en el cines español actual. La representación de María Zambrano y los personajes de María querida" (PDF). Mujer, mujeres andaluzas: proyectando imágenes sociales y narrativas. p. 240. ISBN 978-84-472-2475-3.
  7. Durán Manso 2023, p. 238.
  8. Durán Manso 2023, p. 236.
  9. "María querida (2004". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes.
  10. "García Sánchez retrata a lafilósofa María Zambrano". El Periódico de Aragón. Prensa Ibérica. 25 October 2004.
  11. "María querida". Fotogramas. 29 May 2008.
  12. Torreiro, Casimiro (29 October 2004). "Honestidad intachable". El País.
  13. Fernández, M.A. (30 October 2004). "El surcoreano Kim Ki-duk gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci por «Hierro 3»". La Voz de Galicia.
  14. Viaje al cine español. 25 años de los Premios Goya (PDF), Lunwerg, 2011, p. 289, ISBN 978-84-9785-791-8
  15. "'Mar adentro' también acapara las candidaturas de la Unión de Actores". elmundo.es. 15 March 2005.
  16. "Un premio de cine por luchar contra la violencia machista". El País. 7 June 2005.