The Quispe Girls (Spanish: Las niñas Quispe) is a 2013 Chilean film written and directed by Sebastián Sepúlveda. It is based on the true story of the Quispe sisters and on Juan Radrigán's play "Las Brutas".[2]
The film depicts the tragic story of Justa, Lucía, and Luciana Quispe, three sisters who worked as goat-herders in the Chilean altiplano located in the Atacama desert region, the ancestral home of the indigenous Colla people.
In 1974, the sisters were worried that their animals were losing their economic value due to the growing rumors about the military government that had reached even the remotest areas of the country. Already affected by the loss of one of their sisters, they were further frightened by the news that the military had reached the nearby town of Copiapó. Tragically, Justa, Lucía, and Luciana committed suicide by hanging themselves from a rock, along with their two dogs.
The filmmakers chose to shoot the suicide scene on the same rock where the real incident took place, and Justa Quispe's role was played by her niece, Digna Quispe. Director and screenwriter Sebastián Sepúlveda recalled his initial meeting with Digna, "I was very afraid of Digna when I first met her. She doesn't shake hands, she just shakes fingers in a very cold way," but later Digna agreed to participate in the project. Digna's personality was believed to reflect her life in the Altiplano, and it left an indelible mark on the film.[3]
The film had a positive reception, though some criticized the awkwardness of integrating the inexperienced Digna Quispe with the rest of the crew. Digna, though brilliant, was illiterate and had no acting experience, with one reviewer saying her performance did not blend with those of Francisca Gavilán and Catalina Saavedra, the other two main characters.[4]
The Hollywood Reporter also gave a positive review, saying: "Sebastian Sepulveda's beautifully written, played and shot feature debut is as dark, pure and bleak as the lives of its subjects."[5]
^Las niñas Quispe (ES) "Lo que complica la verosimilitud del trabajo de estas tremendas actrices es que la tercera hermana está interpretada por Digna Quispe, heredera de las míticas hermanas y una persona que en toda su corporalidad y expresión da cuenta de la relación que existe desde su origen con el mundo que la rodea y la define".CRÍTICAS & ESTUDIOS『Las niñas Quispe: el drama sin dolor』Cinechile, Enciclopedia del Cine Chileno / Santiago, Chile, Antonella Estevez, retrieved on October 28, 2014
