『First Love Blossoming Through Solidarity』
🎥 Movie Overview
🎬 Title: In the Company of Women (Las buenas compañías, 2023)
🌍 Country: Spain, France
🎞️ Genre: Drama, Coming-of-Age, Queer
🗓️ Directed by: Sílvia Munt
🖋️ Screenplay: Sílvia Munt, Jorge Gil Munárriz
⏳ Runtime: 95 minutes
👩💼 Cast: Alícia Falcó – Bea
Elena Tarrats – Miren
Itziar Ituño – Feli
🧩 In-Depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)
🌱 Spain in Turmoil and “The 11 of Basauri”
This film is set during Spain’s political transition around 1977, as the country emerged from Franco’s dictatorship and moved toward democracy. At that time, abortion was still illegal, and the film gains historical depth by drawing on the real-life case of “Las 11 de Basauri” (The 11 of Basauri).
- Political Context: The social wave of liberation following decades of dictatorship led to feminist and women’s rights movements. The film captures the courage of women who risked their safety to fight for bodily autonomy and self-determination in an era when such acts were criminalized.
- Underground Abortion Network: The women’s activist group in the film acts as a clandestine network, helping women cross the French border—where abortion was legal—to safely terminate pregnancies. This portrayal of solidarity reflects the desperation and bravery of women who practiced sisterhood at the risk of imprisonment or worse.
🌟 Intersections of Class and Identity
Bea and Miren appear to come from opposing worlds, yet they share a fundamental longing for liberation from social oppression.
- Bea (Political Awakening): Coming from a working-class background, Bea channels her anger at social injustice into active participation in the feminist movement. She symbolizes youthful rebellion and the will to change the world through action.
- Miren (Internal Repression): From a wealthy, conservative family, Miren outwardly conforms to expectations but is trapped in a web of secrecy—forced to hide a pregnancy and prepare for an arranged marriage. Her struggle is deeply personal: reclaiming autonomy over her body and her life within a restrictive environment.
This contrast underscores how the fight for abortion rights transcended class divisions, becoming a shared struggle for women across Spanish society. Through her connection with Miren, Bea realizes that political activism and personal liberation are inseparably intertwined.
👩❤️👩 Emotional Intimacy and Identity Exploration
Their relationship extends beyond friendship, becoming a crucial catalyst for Bea’s journey of sexual identity and emotional growth.
- The Core of Coming-of-Age: Through Miren, Bea’s coming-of-age narrative unfolds with emotional depth. Her encounters with Miren lead her to profound realizations about herself and the world, marking a pivotal transformation in her young life.
- Development of “Unexpected Feelings”: Bea experiences “sudden, unexpected feelings” toward Miren—emotions that move beyond political camaraderie into the realm of first love or deep emotional attachment. In an oppressive setting, such feelings become both the purest and most dangerous form of freedom.
💞 The Meaning of “Las buenas compañías” (Good Company)
Their connection embodies the film’s title, symbolizing “good company” or the power of sisterhood (sorority).
- Solidarity in Silence: Even without many words, Bea and Miren understand each other’s pain and longing through shared glances and gestures. Miren’s crisis (her pregnancy) transforms Bea’s political activism into a deeply personal mission of rescue, providing Miren with a safe haven from social judgment.
- Mutual Liberation: Miren draws strength from Bea’s rebellious spirit, realizing her own confinement, while Bea gains a tangible understanding of who her activism truly serves through Miren’s vulnerability. Together, they become anchors guiding each other toward freedom and selfhood.
The relationship between Bea and Miren delicately illuminates the intersection of political struggle and personal growth in 1970s Spain. Their bond is a narrative engine demonstrating how women can free themselves from social and class constraints, discover their authentic selves, and ultimately prove the transformative power of female solidarity.
📜 The Weight of History and the Power of Choice
In the Company of Women revisits a crucial chapter in Spain’s modern feminist history while portraying the emotional and social burdens women endured behind the movement. At a time when reproductive rights and bodily autonomy are once again under threat globally, the film serves as a timely and deeply moving reminder of how vital the sacrifices and solidarity of past generations of women remain today.
🎯 Personal (Taste-Based) Rating
💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆
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