Synopsis:

Two ladies have been living together for many years. One of them, Maria, has to face an old family hostility for having chosen to live love…

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short film, THE TWO SPINSTERS, begins with Maria in the kitchen to set the tone of the entire narrative. This is a woman who is burdened, afraid of everything except her ailing wife that lifts her spirit up on a hard day. Maria’s past has haunted her through her entire adult life, almost as if the only thing she doesn’t regret is leaving her family to be with her wife.

The story conveys a powerful message that life might not be easy, but it is worth it if there is someone to love. Maria’s composure appears weighed down, but that weight is lifted when she is finally able to stand up to her homophobic brother. Her wife supported everything she wanted, as Maria took care of her during her last days and it is implied that they have done this for each other for the majority of their life. 

Rarely do films look at homosexual couples that have been together for decades. This film showed the hardship that this lesbian couple have gone through as it is stated they got together before it was socially acceptable. The term ‘spinster’ was easier for families to explain why a female family member is living with another woman and it’s a moment of triumph when Maria is finally able to stand up to her brother after years of emotional trauma weighing her down. 

This is a powerful film that shows that when someone chooses a life of love, rather than yielding to familial pressures, that they can live a life of joy. Maria proves this as she takes care of her wife and makes it clear to her brother that she didn’t regret choosing to follow her heart rather than be miserable by following the societal norms that were in place when she was a girl.