It is hard to sit through "Camino" at times. The film, which is supposed to be based on a real incident in Spain, was adapted by its director, Jarvier Fesser. The basic premise is how blind faith can interfere with medical science causing horrible results. At the center, the young girl's family were members of the Opus Dei, an organization of ultra religious branch of the Catholic church that supposedly deals with attaining sainthood in everyone by acceptance and endurance to human suffering. Although it has nothing to do with Christian Science, we could not help comparing both types of practices, even if the latter one does not accept anything to do with the treatment of ailments by the medical profession.
The story about this family happened fifteen years before 2001, when the action supposedly start. We are taken to meet Gloria and Jose, a couple in Madrid. They have two daughters, the eldest, Nuria, wants to become a nun. The youngest, the sunny Camino, is going to a catholic school. Gloria is a fervent follower of the teachings of the Opus Dei; her blind faith is a rare quality for anyone in the times we are living. Camino is a typical girl with aspirations and dreams, like any other of her friends in school.
Tragedy strikes when Camino begins to suffer a debilitating illness that lands her in a hospital. The problem is a tumor that is pressing against her spinal chord and threatens to paralyze her. Gloria and Jose worry about what their daughter future will be. The mother insists Camino to offer her sufferings to God. When the operation does not get the results expected, and Camino keeps getting worse, it is decided to transfer her to Pamplona to be near Gloria's sister and Nuria, whose convent is there as well. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to save the young girl's life.
Mr. Fesser goes after the machinations and manipulations behind the scenes of the branch of Catholicism that insists that faith will triumph over medical science. The only victim is Camino. The director gets an inspired performance from Nerea Camacho, who plays the sweet Camino, and Carmen Elias that appears as Gloria. This is no easy film to watch because of its subject matter as we witness the deterioration in front of our eyes of the young girl whose life is taken from her. Also in the cast, Mariano Venancio, and Manuela Velles.
The story about this family happened fifteen years before 2001, when the action supposedly start. We are taken to meet Gloria and Jose, a couple in Madrid. They have two daughters, the eldest, Nuria, wants to become a nun. The youngest, the sunny Camino, is going to a catholic school. Gloria is a fervent follower of the teachings of the Opus Dei; her blind faith is a rare quality for anyone in the times we are living. Camino is a typical girl with aspirations and dreams, like any other of her friends in school.
Tragedy strikes when Camino begins to suffer a debilitating illness that lands her in a hospital. The problem is a tumor that is pressing against her spinal chord and threatens to paralyze her. Gloria and Jose worry about what their daughter future will be. The mother insists Camino to offer her sufferings to God. When the operation does not get the results expected, and Camino keeps getting worse, it is decided to transfer her to Pamplona to be near Gloria's sister and Nuria, whose convent is there as well. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to save the young girl's life.
Mr. Fesser goes after the machinations and manipulations behind the scenes of the branch of Catholicism that insists that faith will triumph over medical science. The only victim is Camino. The director gets an inspired performance from Nerea Camacho, who plays the sweet Camino, and Carmen Elias that appears as Gloria. This is no easy film to watch because of its subject matter as we witness the deterioration in front of our eyes of the young girl whose life is taken from her. Also in the cast, Mariano Venancio, and Manuela Velles.