『Youthful Passion and Love Blossoming Between Faith and Freedom』
🎥 Movie Overview
🎬 Title: La Llamada (Holy Camp!, 2017)
🌍 Country: 🇪🇸 Spain
🎞️ Genre: Musical / Comedy / Drama
🗓️ Production & Release: Apache Films, 2017
⏳ Runtime: Approximately 102 minutes
📢 Directors: Javier Ambrossi & Javier Calvo
🖋️ Screenwriters: Javier Ambrossi & Javier Calvo
📺 Platform: Netflix and other streaming services
👩💼 Cast: Belén Cuesta – Milagros
Anna Castillo – Susana
Macarena García – María
🧩 In-Depth Story Analysis (Spoilers)
🎶 Subversive Fusion of Religion and Pop Culture
'La Llamada' uses a religious setting but never conveys a conservative or traditional message.
- God singing Whitney Houston: One of the film’s most original and subversive elements is the appearance of God to the protagonist María. God appears in a sparkling suit like a pop star and delivers messages not through prayers but by singing Whitney Houston hits such as 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Greatest Love of All'.
- Meaning: This symbolizes that God communicates with modern people not through strict doctrine but through pop culture and the universal language of 'love'. It blurs the line between the sacred and secular pleasures, interpreting faith as a way of joy and self-expression.
- Redefining Faith: María’s 'Call (La Llamada)' is not the traditional calling to become a nun but is interpreted as permission to find the life and love she truly desires. The film shows that faith need not suppress freedom but can serve as a path to self-discovery and liberation.
💡 Adolescence, Growing Pains, and Identity Discovery
The story focuses on best friends María and Susana, humorously portraying teenage girls navigating dreams and identity confusion.
- María: Once a rebellious girl dreaming of pop stardom, María becomes conflicted after experiencing God’s 'Call'. Torn between faith and secular aspirations, she ultimately realizes that her voice (singing) is her greatest prayer to God and chooses her own path. Her journey demonstrates that 'faith' can be a process of discovering one’s true self.
- Susana: Susana struggles with friendship with María, dreams of pop stardom, and her sexual identity. As María drifts away following God’s call, Susana experiences emotional turmoil. Her 'Call' arrives unexpectedly, through the nun Milagros. This queer romance shines against the religious camp backdrop, delivering a message of embracing identity and love.
🎼 Early Connection Through Music: Discovering the Hidden Self
The relationship between Milagros and Susana begins with recognizing each other’s 'hidden selves'.
- Susana: Susana is a rebellious teen dreaming of forming the electro-pop group 'Suma Latina' with María. Distanced from María due to the divine 'Call', she faces emotional confusion and uncertainty about her sexual identity.
- Milagros: Milagros, once a nun who maintained her faith to the end, secretly holds onto rock music and secular dreams beneath her habit. She discovers her past and repressed desires through Susana’s passion for pop music and rebellious spirit.
Through the shared language of music, the two communicate across generational and role boundaries (nun vs. camp participant). Milagros does not judge Susana’s feelings prematurely and provides her with a safe, understanding space.
✝️ Emotional Dependence and Transference of the 'Call'
Their relationship evolves beyond mentor-mentee, intertwining Milagros’ repressed desires with Susana’s identity confusion.
- Milagros’ Turmoil: Milagros feels pure affection for Susana, which develops into a romantic and secular attraction she cannot allow as a nun. She experiences intense conflict between her divine calling and human affection. This struggle leads her to realize her 'true self' hidden beneath her habit.
- Susana’s Discovery: In her loneliness from losing María, Susana leans on Milagros. Milagros’ warmth and empathy help Susana confront her inner self, particularly who she loves. Milagros’ feelings act as a crucial catalyst for Susana to embrace her queer identity.
Ultimately, Milagros’ 'La Llamada' as a nun is reinterpreted as a call to 'not hide your true emotions', and for Susana, a call to 'be honest about who you love'.
🌞 Courage and Liberation
The film presents resolution through each character following her own 'Call'.
- Milagros’ Choice: Milagros confesses her true feelings (her attraction to Susana and repressed dreams) to the head nun Bernarda and decides to leave the convent to sing her own songs. This act liberates her repressed self and expands her faith to 'loving her true self', a revolutionary choice.
- Susana’s Affirmation: Milagros’ courageous choice influences Susana profoundly, enabling her to accept her queer identity. Susana no longer wanders and embraces her desires and love.
The relationship between Milagros and Susana conveys that even within a conservative religious framework, one can discover and affirm personal identity and love. They serve as 'saviors and liberators' for each other, completing the film’s central theme.
🎯 Personal (Subjective) Rating
💕 Level of Love Scenes: ♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★
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