Ana Maria Moix
Ana Maria Moix
Directed by Anastasi Rinos | Review by Nora Jaenicke
This documentary is a sensitive and well-structured journey through the life and work of Ana Maria Moix, a precious Spanish poet, novelist, short story writer, translator and editor. Ana María Moix studied humanities at the University of Barcelona and came to fame as the only woman included in the well-known anthology edited by Josep María Castellet entitled Nueve novísimos poetas españoles. Her first novel, Julia, stood out from the moment it was published for the richness and subtlety of the author’s prose. Set against the backdrop of Franco’s forty-year dictatorship, her personal history reveals its own small tyrannies and struggles for independence. Today, it is considered a classic of Spanish literature.
The documentary gives this important historical figure full justice, portraying her as an icon of her age and as a serious intellectual who rejected commercialism at all costs. She is portrayed not only through her literary career, but also as a loving, warm and entertaining human being, who was very generous with her friends. Even those who are not familiar with her work will feel the urge to learn more about her, after watching this intimate telling of her life, work and overall vision of the world, while getting a clear sense of her historical context.
While watching the documentary we are given the possibility to know her through various sources: Her friends and family, archival material, the reading of her poems and parts of her novels as voice over enactments of stage plays which serve as a background and allow us a unique access into this talented woman’s work and its rich and evocative imagery. As we are being led through the personality and life of this remarkable historical figure, we are also being introduced to the people who knew her, among which quite a few well respected cultural personalities of Spanish literature. While doing so, we are also given a unique insight into an important era of our history: The liberation of women.
Nora is currently in post-production of one more short film -Joyce, also a short film version of a feature that she is hoping to make: A mosaic of interrelated stories that explore the American Dream and the plight of immigrants in New York City. She is an avid traveler, continuing to explore the world and telling stories about it, whenever she gets a chance.
