The Holy Girl () is a 2004 Argentinian drama film directed by Lucrecia Martel. The picture was executively produced by Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar, and Esther García. It was produced by Lita Stantic. The film features Mercedes Morán, María Alche, Carlos Belloso, Alejandro Urdapilleta, Julieta Zylberberg, among others. Plot The film takes place in the small town of La Ciénaga, at the Hotel Termas, a dilapidated Argentine hotel, during a medical conference. Two young teenage girls, Amalia (María Alché) and her best friend Josefina (Julieta Zylberberg), begin to explore their new sexuality and, at the same time, have Catholic religious passion. Amalia lives with her attractive divorced mother (Mercedes Morán), who owns the hotel, and her uncle Freddy (Alejandro Urdapilleta). During this time, in Amalia's mind, spiritual and sexual impulses are seeming to converge. One day, in the midst of a large crowd watching the performance of a musician playing the theremin, Dr. Jano (Carlos Belloso), a participant in the conference and hotel guest, rubs up sexually against Amalia. She is upset but takes his inappropriate action as a sign that her Catholic faith has given her a mission: to save Dr. Jano from such inappropriate behavior. Afterward, the object of Amalia's desire becomes the married middle-aged doctor and she begins to spy on him. Amalia's story is partly about an adolescent girl's discovery of her sexual vulnerability and the sexual power she possesses. Cast Mercedes Morán as Helena Carlos Belloso as Dr. Jano Alejandro Urdapilleta as Freddy María Alché as Amalia Julieta Zylberberg as Josefina Mía Maestro as Inés Marta Lubos as Mirta Arturo Goetz as Dr. Vesalio Alejo Mango as Dr. Cuesta Mónica Villa as Madre de Josefina Leandro Stivelman as Julian Manuel Schaller as Thermin player Background The screenplay of the film was written by director Lucrecia Martel. Martel said, "The film isn't strictly autobiographical, but what I put in it is my personal experience in life, my memories. When I was in my teens, I was a very religious person. I thought I had a special relationship with God, or anything that was up there. Now, I don't believe in miracles, but I do believe in the emotion you feel in front of a miracle - the emotion of something unexpected revealed to you." As part of the way she uses the camera the film has few establishing shots or transition shots because she makes the