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Exploring The House of Bernarda Alba

Apr 7, 2025

Notes on The House of Bernarda Alba (1991)

Overview

  • Title: The House of Bernarda Alba (1991)
  • Type: TV Movie
  • Rating: 4.9/5 (17 votes)
  • Directors: Stuart Burge, Nuria Espert
  • Writers: Federico García Lorca (original play), Robert David MacDonald
  • Main Cast: Deborah Findlay, Suzanna Hamilton, Gillian Hanna, Patricia Hayes, Glenda Jackson, Julie Legrand, Emma Lewis, Mary Maddox, Emer McCourt, Pauline Melville, Joan Plowright, Amanda Root, Ann Heffernan, Judy Liebert, Stella Richman, Elissa Phillips

Synopsis

  • Centered around a stern, reclusive widow named Bernarda Alba in a small Spanish town.
  • Bernarda exercises strict control over her daughters, preventing them from maintaining normal social interactions.
  • The eldest daughter is permitted to engage with a morally questionable man for financial gain.
  • This engagement incites jealousy and envy among the sisters.

Themes

  • Authority and repression within family dynamics.
  • Social expectations and personal freedom.
  • Jealousy and interpersonal conflict.

Production Details

  • Country: UK
  • Release Year: 1991
  • Category: TV Movie

Notable Points

  • The film is based on a play by Federico García Lorca, exploring complex themes of authority, repression, and familial control.
  • Glenda Jackson, a notable actress, is featured as part of the cast.

Additional Information

  • Available for download via rarefilmm website.
  • Part of a collection of forgotten films curated by rarefilmm.

Community Engagement

  • Comments:
    • Ethan Lyon requested the film on a non-blocked streaming platform.
    • Phil Williams praised the film and recalled its stage performance in London during the 1970s, likely with Glenda Jackson.

Donation Information

  • rarefilmm is a crowd-funded project and solicits donations to maintain the archive and add new films.
  • Donations can be made via Ko-fi or other methods.

  • Website offers options to browse films, request reuploads, and join a chat room.
  • rarefilmm is committed to releasing new films weekly during December, including Christmas-themed films.