Chilean trans actress-activist Paula Dinamarca, who starred in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Grand Prix winner, “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” has joined the stellar cast of the upcoming “A Decorous Woman.” Pic was one of the more anticipated projects to be showcased at the 2025 Malaga Festival Fund & Co-Production event (MAFF).
Dinamarca also starred in “Flamingo” director Diego Céspedes’ acclaimed short film “The Melting Creatures,” which Rodrigo Díaz of Parina Films produced:
News of Dinamarca’s casting comes as Díaz is presenting a new project, “Don’t Let Me Die Alone,” participating in the Costa Rica Tres Puertos Lab, which runs June 18-23 in the build-up to the Costa Rica Media Market, which takes place June 24-25.
“Paula has a presence that resonates on and off screen. She brought depth, sensitivity and a powerful emotional honesty to her role in ‘The Melting Creatures,’” said Díaz.
“Paula doesn’t perform emotions – she channels experiences in a way that feels immediate and fully lived. Her work is guided by an acute awareness of the character’s internal world, as she engages with the material from a place of truth. Watching her inhabit moments of joy or sorrow with such openness reveals the kind of presence that gives real meaning to her performance,” he added.
Dinamarca will play opposite lead Catalina Saavedra, best known for her lauded career-launching performance in Sundance Grand Jury prizewinner, “The Maid.”
The debut feature of Chilean-Spanish director Natalia Luque, “A Decorous Woman” melds drama and comedy, reality and imagination through the point of view of a recent empty nester hairdresser.
Set in present-day downtown Santiago, in a shopping mall seemingly frozen in time, the film centers on Marta María (Saavedra), a 55-year-old hairdresser facing an empty nest after her only daughter departs for a year in France. To cope with the loneliness, she immerses herself in her work, finding solace and connection by living vicariously through her clients’ stories.
“I have followed Paula Dinamarca’s trajectory and I’ve always been fascinated by her capacity for conveying deep emotions through her gaze. Her acting is impressive – she can achieve deep layers of characterization. In this film, she plays Lola, a numerologist and client of the protagonist, who, just by looking at you, knows what you are feeling and has a special gift for telling stories,” said Luque, adding: “I think Paula is perfect for this role, not only because of her presence in the scene but also because her connection to the audience is moving”
The co-production, involving Parina Films (Chile), France’s Tomsa Films and Madre Content from the U.S., is set to start filming by April next year, with its debut targeted for the first semester of 2027.
Madre Content, a Latinx company launched in 2023 by Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegría (“The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future”), was able to tap a grant from the Chilean Audiovisual Fund 2024 in its Feature Film Production category, securing 30% of its budget.
In her previous work, Luque has often explored underrepresented spaces and nuanced characters, often delving into the intimate worlds of middle-class women in their workplaces. Her most recent short film, “So They Say,” premiered at the 2023 Palm Springs ShortFest and was also selected at Telluride and POFF Shorts, among others.
“Don’t Let Me Die Alone” (“No me dejen morir solo”) is set to be directed and produced by Francisco Rodríguez Teare (“Otro Sol”) of Axolotls Cine, where Diaz is a minority shareholding partner.
Rodriguez Teare’s second feature centers on Mamani, a miserable delivery boy in the northern coastal city of Iquique, Chile who survives his own suicide attempt and meets Jordi, a retired thief, and Sofía, his niece. Drawn into mummy trafficking, Mamani unexpectedly finds purpose and the possibility of belonging to a family.
“Don’t Let Me Die Alone” is lead produced by Axolotls Cine alongside co-producers Michigan Films (Belgium), co-producers of Rodríguez Teare’s docu-fiction hybrid “Otro Sol,” and by Chile-based Mimbre Films.