REVIEW: ‘Clara Sola’ is a Brilliant Costa Rican Gem

Quietly but boasting quality, striking stories, and a unique voice, Costa Rican cinema is going through a moment of richness. The newest proof of his is Clara Sola, Nathalie Alvarez Mesén’s feature film debut that explores themes such as religious traditionalism and sexual awakening using an exquisite touch of magical realism and an outstanding performance by debutant Wendy Chinchilla.

Living in a remote Costa Rican village, Clara (Chinchilla) is a 40-year-old woman whose curved back and withdrawn behavior are used by her controlling religious mother Fresia (Flor María Vargas Chavez) to reinforce the idea that she has divine healing powers and attract devoted villagers to their home. Despite Clara’s pain, her mother defies the doctor’s recommendations and refuses the free surgery to correct her spine because that’s how “God gave it to her.”

Clara’s urge to break free from Fresia’s control is exacerbated by the arrival of Santiago (Daniel Castañeda Rincón), a handsome horse carer and soon-to-be boyfriend of her 15-year-old nephew María (Ana Julia Porras Espinoza). The presence of Santiago, seeing her blossoming nephew explore her sexuality, and some late-night lustful telenovela watching awakens sexual desires in Clara who is constantly scolded and punished by Fresia for trying to pleasure herself. 

Clara Sola is a self-empowerment story about a woman trying to discover herself despite the oppression that surrounds her; although there are no men in her house, the patriarchal asphyxiation is felt through the religious rigidity of Clara’s controlling mother who treats her like a child and tries to repress or even punish every “sinful” thought or action. 

While her house is a place of oppression, the woods are a place of peace and joy for Clara, who has a special connection with nature. Sophie Winqvist Loggins’ intimate cinematography frames this beautiful relationship through numerous insert shots that focus on Clara’s hands caressing her white horse, healing (or reviving) animals, and touching herself in the woods. Mother Earth is healing the wounds of oppression and allowing Clara to find herself. Everything that seems prohibited at home seems to be allowed out there with nature.

Clara’s rebellious actions – stealing her nephew’s clothes, freeing Yuca, or rolling in the mud – are the joint result of years of never being offered a choice and being completely controlled by Fresia and her patriarchal ways. She’s tired of sacrificing herself for a faith that doesn’t seem to be giving anything in return except for sexual repression. The cordiality of Santiago and as well as the princess dream that is so close to Clara thanks to María’s upcoming quinceañera celebration add fuel to the fire. And when Clara starts to push back, she does it with force. Clara is not only fighting for her freedom but also breaking the generational cycle of misogyny that exists in the family. Clara is a catalyst of change and she’s nurtured by mother Earth.

Wendy Chinchilla was a brilliant piece of casting. Using her experiences as a dancer, Chinchilla brings a powerful physicality to the role; her limited movement accurately expresses Clara’s desires, and when she displays force, all sense of fragility is thrown out of the window: she’s a force of nature.

In her debut, Nathalie Álvarez Mesén crafts an impressive story of awakening. In Clara Sola, desire meets magic realism to create a defying product that, just like its main character, is pushing back against patriarchal rigor. 

Clara Sola is now screening at the IFC Center in New York and starting July 8 will start screening at Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles. You can find more showings on the film’s official site at Oscilloscope.