Libertarias (1996)

Libertarias: Directed by Vicente Aranda. With Ana Belén, Victoria Abril, Ariadna Gil, Blanca Apilánez. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the nun Maria is forced to flee her convent. She takes refuge in a brothel, until it is liberated by a woman’s anarchist group. Maria joins the group and eventually goes to the front. The women’s group faces the problems of fighting not only the nationalists, but also factions on the left seeking to impose a more traditional military structure.

“When Maria, the former nun, agrees to go to the front with the anarachist batallion, she does it more out of loyalty to the militiawoman, Pilar, who befriended her. When their camp comes under fire from the Fascists on the other side of the valley, they all dive for the trenches. Maria alone runs out, but she doesnu0026#39;t grab the machine guns left behind — she carries the pot of stew to feed them. When she goes to the top of the trenches, it is a megaphone she lifts – not a rifle. Her words to the Fascists are u0026quot;In the name of God, lay down your riflesu0026quot;. (At that point, the intellectual militiaman mumbles, u0026quot;Theyu0026#39;ll think itu0026#39;s one of theirsu0026quot;). At the killing of a bishop by an anarchist execution squad, which she witnesses, she says, u0026quot;Killing is a sin.u0026quot; She says the same thing when a lamb is about to be slaughtered to feed the group. (This is more symbolism — a la agnus deo – than vegetarianism.) Her role however, is more than a simple stretcher-bearer or noncombatant at the front. She really does argue against killing. No one else speaks up for this viewpoint – everyone seems resigned to violent conflict as a means of settling what society they will have, fascists, anarchists, communists, democrats and all.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat do others think?”