Sister & Sister
In this lush, semiautobiographical film from Kattia G. Zúñiga, two teenage Costa Rican sisters head to the Panamanian tropics in search of their estranged father. Along the way, they learn what it takes to grow up.
Spending a precious summer traveling to another country to meet with your estranged father may not seem like a dream vacation for two teenage girls. Fortunately for Costa Rican sisters Marina (Cala Rossel Campos) and Luna (Ariana Chaves Gavilán), the journey they take is less about disappointing parents than it is about understanding relationships with others on the cusp of adulthood. They arrive in Panama at their aunt's home, where they become fast friends with cousins Sol (Gabriela Man) and León (Joshua De León). Though outwardly inseparable, the sisters are worlds apart on the accelerated time scale of teenage emotional development. The more outgoing Marina, 17, is well-versed in dating, while 14-year-old Luna is still awkwardly emerging into the world of raging hormones. The sisters form friendships with the local Panamanian teens through the classic teenage rituals of hanging out, skateboarding, flirting, sharing music, and learning new dance moves. Set many years before the present, the film depicts teenage life blessedly free of today's overwhelming social-media obsessions, where friendships could blossom and wither organically over time. Cracks begin to form when Marina shows interest in a boy Luna has a crush on, even though Marina has a boyfriend back home. As the hot, humid days press on, the sisters find out more secrets about themselves and about growing up before finally meeting dad, who they discover doesn't really want to be found. Based on a real journey writer-director Kattia G. Zúñiga had taken as a teen, this languid, naturalistic first feature also marks the acting debuts of both Campos and Gavilán, adding layers of youthful authenticity to the drama.
—Randy Woods
- Original Language Title: Las hijas
- Director: Kattia G. Zúñiga
- Principal Cast: Ariana Chaves Gavilán, Cala Rossel Campos, Gabriela Man, Fernando Bonilla, Joshua De León
- Country: Panama, Chile
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 80 min.
- Producer: Alejo Crisóstomo, Kattia G. Zúñiga, Isabella Gálvez Peñafiel, Said Isaac
- Screenplay: Kattia G. Zúñiga
- Cinematographers: Alejo Crisóstomo
- Editors: Andrea Chignoli
- Music: Michelle Blades
- Website: Official Film Website
- Filmography: Debut Feature Film
- Language: Spanish
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: PLUTO FILM Distribution Network GmbH