Josefina Molina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Excelentísima Señora Doña
Josefina Molina
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Molina in 2018
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Josefina Molina Reig
14 November 1936 Córdoba, Spain
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| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1966-1998 |
Josefina Molina Reig (born in Córdoba, Spain, on November 14, 1936) is a famous Spanish film director, screenwriter, and TV producer. She was one of the first women to direct movies and TV shows in Spain. Josefina is well-known for her films like Función de noche (1981) and Esquilache (1988). She also directed the popular TV series Teresa de Jesús (1984). Her work Esquilache was even shown at a big film festival in Berlin. The series Teresa de Jesús won several important awards.
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Early Life and Dreams
Josefina Molina was born in 1936 in Córdoba, Spain. She grew up in a comfortable middle-class family. Her father owned a shop that sold shoes and other products. Her mother managed their home and took care of the children. Their family business did very well, so Josefina had a good childhood despite the tough economic times after the war.
Thanks to her parents' stable finances, Josefina went to good schools in Córdoba. She learned to read and write at Hermanos de la Salle. She finished high school at Escolapias de Santa Victoria. Her mother especially wanted her to get a good education.
Josefina first fell in love with movies at her hometown's cinema. Her parents often took her there on Sunday afternoons. She also loved reading. When she was thirteen, she discovered Episodios Nacionales (National Episodes) by Galdós. These novels made her want to tell stories. But it was seeing the movie El río (The River) by Jean Renoir when she was fifteen that truly sparked her interest in making films.
As a young person, Josefina joined several groups of thinkers in Córdoba. These groups were interested in art and new ideas. She often went to film screenings and discussions at local film clubs. She also joined a progressive youth group called Círculo Juan XXIII. There, she helped start a theater group called Teatro Ensayo Medea. Josefina was a strong supporter of women's rights. She directed her first play, Casa de Muñecas (Dollhouse), by Henrik Ibsen, with this group. The first show was not very successful, as the play's message was ahead of its time.
But Josefina didn't give up. She continued to direct plays and became well-known locally. From 1962, she started working on a radio show called Vida de espectáculos (Life of Shows). She had a popular segment called La mujer y el cine (Women and Cinema).
Becoming a Director
Josefina Molina studied political science. In 1962, she started her theater group, Teatro de Ensayo Medea. She directed many plays with this group. In 1969, she made history by becoming the first woman to get a degree in directing from the Official Cinema School in Spain. During this time, she directed many TV dramas for Spanish Television. These included shows like Estudio 1 (Study 1) and Hora once (Eleventh Hour).
She directed an adaptation of The Metamorphosis by Kafka. She said it was a difficult project that no one else wanted. But she worked hard on it, and people were impressed.
Josefina also adapted and directed several other plays. These included Motín de Brujas (Riot of Witches) and Cartas de Amor (Love Letters).
Key Works in Film and TV
Josefina Molina directed many important TV series.
- El Camino (The Road) (1978) was about an 11-year-old boy named Daniel who had to leave his village for school. The story shows him remembering his childhood.
- Teresa de Jesús (Teresa of Jesus) (1984) told the life story of Saint Teresa of Jesus. This series was very popular.
- Entre Naranjos (Among Orange Trees) (1998) was based on a famous novel.
She also had great success directing theater plays. Her play Cinco Horas con Mario (Five Hours with Mario) has been performed for many years.
Her first full-length film was Vera, un cuento cruel (Vera, a cruel tale) in 1973. It was a fantasy film. In 1981, she became a well-known filmmaker with Función de noche (Evening Performance). This movie showed the lives of a separated couple.
In 1989, she released the historical drama Esquilache. This film had many famous actors. Her last film works were Lo más natural (The Most Natural Thing) (1990) and La Lola se va a los puertos (Lola Goes to the Ports) (1993).
In 2006, Josefina helped create CIMA. This is an association for women filmmakers and media professionals. She is the Honorary President of this group. In 2011, she received the Honorary Goya Award, which is a very important award in Spanish cinema. In 2012, she was named an Honorary Citizen of Andalusia.
Besides directing, Josefina is also a talented writer. After she stopped making movies, she started writing novels. She said she would be bored if she didn't write. Her first novel was Cuestión de azar (A Matter of Chance). She described it as the story of girls growing up in Andalusia, like she did. She also wrote En el umbral de la hoguera (On the Threshold of the Stake) about Teresa of Jesus. She found writing exciting because she could create whatever she wanted without needing approval from others. She also wrote an autobiography called Sentada en un rincón (Sitting in a Corner).
Josefina also wrote the introduction for a book about another pioneering female filmmaker, Ana Mariscal. She has had a long career directing for Spanish Television.
A Champion for Women
Josefina Molina is well-known for supporting women's rights. She even wrote a book called Cine de mujeres en la Transición (Female Cinema during the Transition). She also worked on La trilogía feminista (The Feminist Trilogy) with other female directors.
Awards and Recognitions
Josefina Molina has received many awards for her work.
- In 1989, she was nominated for two Goya Awards for her film Esquilache.
- In 1998, she won the Spanish Television Academy Award for Best Directing for Entre naranjos.
- In 2003, she received an Honorary "Toda una vida" (A Whole Lifetime) award from the Spanish Television Academy.
- In 2011, she was given the Honorary Goya Award for her amazing career.
- On November 14, 2011, she received the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour.
See also
In Spanish: Josefina Molina para niños
