12/12/2005

Spanish scriptwriter and director Ray Loriga began the principal photography of his second feature film Teresa in Portugal, on the life a 16th century Spanish nun, who lately became Saint Teresa of Avila. Paz Vega, who has just finished shooting Antena 3’s big-budget production The Borgia (read the article), heads a cast which also includes Leonor Watling (Hard Times), Geraldine Chaplin (Talk to her [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), José Luis Gómez (The Seventh Day) and Eusebio Poncela (800 Bullets).

After writing scripts for Almodóvar (Live Flesh), Saura (The Seventh Day) and Calparsoro (Ausentes) and filming his first film, My Brother's Gun, Loriga decided to develop a project he had in mind for years. Attracted by the personality of Saint Teresa, he decided to write a film about this apparently passionate rebel and intellectual woman, underlying her human side rather than the holistic one. "At the age of 20, she was a young passionate woman, not material for a Saint. I simply wanted to tell the metamorphosis she goes through, destroying who she was in order to be somebody who would later become Saint Teresa. I focus on the moment of denying of the world on behalf of the spiritual quest", stated the filmmaker".

Coproduced by Lolafilmes (Spain), Artedis (France) and Future Film Group (UK), this 77M€ project is being shot in the Convent of Christ of Tomar, in the centre of Portugal, before moving to Madrid, Cáceres, Trujillo and Alicante (Ciudad de la Luz studios) in early 2006.