Of Shy Machos

Of Shy Machos

Of Shy Machos and Matrimonially Minded Senoras

Dokumentation // ARTE 2007, 26 min., Digibeta

Cabezuela, a tiny village in the Spanish province of Segovia is buzzing with excitement over the upcoming visit of two busloads of bachelorettes from Madrid. Each of these 100 women is journeying to this farming community of 750 in the hope of finding the man of her dreams. This unusual pilgrimage is called "Caravana de Mujeres", the women's caravan. It was initiated by a lonely bachelor ten years ago and thus far, has brought 75 couples together.

In Cabezuela, as in many other rural towns, women are scarce. Spanish girls born in remote farming communities tend to go to the big cities and coastal areas in search of work, leaving behind many lonely men with little chance of finding wives.

Ismael Matesanz Martin is one of these single men. With a small business and a home of his own, he is among the most eligible bachelors of Cabezuela. Nonetheless, at 39 he is still single, and the Caravana de Mujeres may be his last chance to find a wife. Ismael is optimistic about his prospects and eagerly anticipates the visit. At the same time, others in the community are skeptical that these city women could bring happiness to their small community. As the long-awaited day approaches, heated discussions in the local bars ensue about the likely motives of the participating bachelorettes.

What will happen when the modern city women meet the shy and distrustful country boys? Will matches occur? Will Ismael find the woman of his dreams? In this program, we will bear witness to this blind date Spanish style.

Writer and Director: Dorothe Dörholt
Camera: Torbjörn Karvang
Sound: Thomas Bianga
Editing: Jens Gronheid
Production: Antje Christ

Photos © Christ Media

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