St. Teresa of the Andes

I have heard stories of young women who watch this movie end up entering religious life. This should give you an idea of how powerful this movie can be, especially for those who may have a calling to a more contemplative order, such as the Carmelites.In addition, the movie seems to depict traditional Spanish Carmlelite spirituality quite well, including some rich Carmelite traditions that have been forgotten in many convents. It is clear the director/producers did their homework. And what is more, they were able to capture in some small way the heart of this saint--though no movie is ever able to capture it perfectly.Although the movie begins somewhat slow, and the production is not the best quality, do not let this deter you from seeing it through (it begins to pick up a lot in the second part of the series. The first part is just setting the stage as they say). I would also recommend, if you know anyone who might have a vocation to religious life, have them watch this. Movies should be able to impact people's lives, and this is one of the few that can.The only shortcoming in this movie, I feel, is that they only used a handful of quotes from her diary and letters. They should have incorporated more exerts from her writings, so that her love for God and souls could really shine forth. She was a more than just a sweet young girl who loved God. She was consumed by love. She did more than suffer and die gracefully. She suffered and died gracefully for the salvation of souls. The movie could have brought forth, more, this redemptive quality of suffering, which so imbues Carmelite spirituality.

This movie is in Spanish and was originally aired in her native land of Chile. So the viewer would appreciate the historically accurate wardrobe and Spanish dialect. The movie has each of the 3 DVDs with 2 or 3 sections in each DVD. The sections look like they were part of an aired series. The movie has English subtitles and was beautifully made. I would think though that it may go a little slow so the viewer would have to have patience while watching it. It is an accurate portrayal of the Saint and comes with a commentary by a Carmelite Father afterwards which is short but moving. I am really interested in the writings of this Carmelite Saint which can be obtained in English by ICS Publications and in Spanish by the Monte Carmelo, editorial. She is full of love for Christ in the movie it is lovely to watch.

I have many saint films and I am so happy to add this one to my collection.This film captures not only the simplicity of St. Teresa of the Andes, but also the beautiful life of the Carmelites. This low budget film is refreshing. Viewers quickly realize that we don't need modern-day technologies often seen in newer films to have a powerful impact on the messages being portrayed. No doubt I will watch this film again and again, and each time I will pick up on something I missed before. After watching this movie the first time, I found myself thinking about it throughout the next few days.The only minor shortcoming is that the scene transitions are a bit difficult to follow. Characters are not effectively introducted in the film, therefore, I understood the film much better the second time I viewed it. Yet, this is a minor detail and the overall qualities of the film far exceed the shortcomings.

A great story about a saint. Its over 7hrs long and well worth it. It was originally a soap opera in south america and so they had time to put in a lot of details. Some times it does seem to drag a little but its full of charm also.The movie is in spanish with english subtitles so for english speakers it may be difficult to read for over 7 hrs.I recommend this movie. I cried the 1st time I watched it.

A Chilean friend loaned me some video tapes of this mini-series and I enjoyed it so much that I went searching for a copy and found that Amazon had it on DVD. This is a very inspiring story of the saint produced by Chilean TV about twenty years ago portraying the last few years of her life at home and at boarding school and her year at the Carmelite convent and her death. The series is in Spanish with English sub-titles set in the late teens. St. Teresa de Los Andes gives us a wonderful example of sanctity which is well-portrayed in this series.

It was a 6-episode serial on Chile TV and it is composed of 3 DVDs making a total of 7.5 hours. The original Sr Teresa who in real life was Juanita Fernandes and died a teenage saint of 19 years and 9 months. It is good to read the book GOD THE JOY OF MY LIFE by Michael D Griffin (Ignatius Press) (which contains her DIARY) and also THE LETTERS OF ST TERESA OF THE ANDES. The then 16 years old actress - Paulina Urrutia - plays the part to perfection (she is now Minister for Culture in the Chile Government). A very inspiring film.

We are calling our granddaughter "Teresa" after Teresa of the Andes since she was born on the day that the Carmelites in the USA were permitted to observe her feast...and yes I loved the DVD and watched it twice. The film is very much in the character of the Brazilian soap operas, prime time and with good actors, which I watched while in Brazil. The period costumes ( 1900-1920) were great as was the scenery of a plantation in South America . This is a wonderful movie for young girls and women of all ages.

This was a wonderful movie of a little girl from Chile who had the most amazing heart for her family, and most of all for God. She inspires all of us to make little sacrifices for God, making the world a better place for those around her. She tries to live up to perfection as she constantly examines herself and ways she could be better. She never complains and smiles all the time. Beautiful movie that will help your heart to grow!

原語はスペイン語ですが英語の字幕が入り、分かりやすくなっています。　チリの聖女の生涯が生き生きと描かれています。