Entre tinieblas / Dark Habits

Pedro Almodóvar: Entre tinieblas / Dark Habits (ES 1983) with Chus Lampreave (Sister Sewer Rat), Julieta Serrano (Mother Superior).

Yön sisaret / Sisters of Night.
    ES © 1983 Tesauro. P: Luis Calvo.
    D+SC: Pedro Almodóvar. DP: Angel Luis Fernández – Eastmancolor – 1,85. Set dec: Pin Morales, Román Arango. M: Cam España. "Salí porque salí", "Dime" sung by Sol Pilas. Sound: Martín Mueller, Armin Fausten. ED: José Salcedo.
    Starring Cristina Sánchez Pascual (Yolanda), Julieta Serrano (Mother Superior), Marisa Paredes (Sister Dungheap), Mary Carrillo (Marchioness), Lina Canalejas (Sister Viper), Manuel Zarzo (Chaplain), Carmen Maura (Sister Lost), Chus Lampreave (Sister Sewer Rat).
    Dep. legal M-2533-1983.
    Originally 115'. This was the director's definitive cut, 101'.
    Fine new 2005 print bought from El Deseo / Technicolor Madrid, by the Finnish Film Archive with money from the sales of Teuvo Tulio's television rights to the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation.
    Print check viewing, no subtitles, 8 Aug 2005, at Orion, Helsinki.

Yolanda, a Madrid nightclub singer, witnesses her boyfriend's death of heroin, and escapes to the convent of the Humble Redeemers dedicated to help lost women.

The finances of the convent come from a Marchioness about to withdraw her support. The Mother Superior is herself a heroin addict; Sister Rat writes books under a pseudonym; Sister Lost takes care of animals including a tiger; Sister Dungheap cooks; Sister Viper sews, even fashion designs; Sister Rat does the gardening.

Mother Superior falls in love with Yolanda, who reforms and rejects her. The storyline seems delirious, but already Almodóvar is focusing on the profound humanity of her characters, and the nuns seem genuinely good people who really want to help. It's nice to see faces later made familiar by Almodóvar in nuns' habits.