“O” de Amor (“O” of Love)

This 1995 film by Ismael González Díaz has awful tech specs as the actors performances, the directing, editing, etc. is truly on the really bad side; but, it has something that is quite outstanding, tells a story that is a modern adaptation of past true events that is just remarkable and one that some that read this blog have to know.

The story set in a small town in Galicia tells about Mary (Monica Pont) a ceramic teacher that falls in love with one of her students, Maria. Maria is engaged and about to marry. Against her mother wishes Maria breaks her engagement to her fiancé and goes to live with the teacher. The teacher gets fired because she’s living with her student and at the same time she gets the news that her gay twin brother, Mario, committed suicide in London as his male partner died from AIDS and he suspects he’s also HIV positive.

I’m not used to spoil the movie, but this time I will as what follows is remarkable. While in London Mary decides to adopt Mario identity and returns to Galicia dressed as a male and as Mario. She only tells Maria. They tell everyone that Mary remained overseas and will never come back to Galicia. Eventually Maria and Mario get married and have a Catholic Church wedding ceremony. Is in that moment that they show in the screen a newspaper photo from the real couple of Maria and Mary/Mario in their wedding day.

Even when the movie as a movie is quite bad and you have to be patient to see it until Mary gets the telegram, I strongly suggest that you watch this remarkable story that I believe it happened in real life in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s because of the way they are dressed in the photograph they show.

I had a hard time enduring the bad acting, directing, editing, etc, but this time I’m glad I waited until the end because the story is quite unexpected and truly remarkable when you think that the true situation happened in Spain and so long ago.

Since there is no movie poster available, I posted a photo of actress Monica Pont that plays Mary, the teacher. And yes, she looks like that in the movie, if only she could perform better!

Enjoy!!! (for the amazing story)