In the opening scene of this film I was totally confused as to what was going on, which you soon realize is the intent in Fernando Guzzoni's "Blanquita". A young woman, Blanquita (Laura Lopez), is in a quiet room. Nearby, outside that room, is a very chaotic scene of a young man apparently freaking out.
Blanquita has been away for a while from this group home but now she has returned, along with her young child. She is welcomed back by Manuel (Alejandro Goic), the man in charge of the facility that takes care of the abused children.
Blanquita eventually heads to the chaos she's been hearing outside the room she is in. It's a young man named Carlo (Ariel Grandon), and he is trashing the room. She succeeds in calming him down, and we learn that both are victims of a corrupt and abusive foster home system that has seen them raped multiple times.
Soon after she calms down Carlo, something he has said sends her back to flashbacks of the hell she has endured and suppressed, leaving her shaken. She goes to Manuel and tells him of her emerging horrific memories and he is determined to go to the authorities in an effort to bring her justice.
It's clear that Blanquita is indeed a victim. However, we realize that every detail she is recounting may not have really happened as her story becomes public, leading to a prosecution of a man she has accused as one of her primary abusers.
The story is based on a sensational sex scandal in Chile nearly two decades earlier, where a prominent businessman was accused of running a child pornography ring. It's difficult to know which details in "Blanquita" are totally accurate, but that's not the point. This is a classic tale of how justice systems everywhere operate at different levels for the haves and have-nots.
| Movie title | Blanquita |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2022 |
| MPAA Rating | NR |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Harrowing tale of a young woman dealing with a history of physical and mental abuse. |
