“Holy Camp “: A Glimmer Of Hope In Dark Times

After the success of Eight Basque surnames , Spanish cinema tries again to make the viewer smile through an anecdote, a cliché. Holy Camp (2017) is a fun film, a breath of fresh air in the comic cinema landscape  that proves that you can laugh even without falling into clichés.

The roots of this art form can be traced back to the comedy of manners. This dramatic subgenre bears some similarities to reality, but does not deepen it. Usually the protagonists belong to the middle or middle class and are ridiculed in a rather conventional way. In a nutshell, it is a comedy with a social component, but one that does not seem to care too much about reflecting on reality.

This genre has inspired authors such as Shakespeare and Molière and its success is undoubted, so much so that its legacy has dominated the cinema trend for a long time. The only problem is the lack of variety, creativity and novelty.

Today, contemporary comedy almost always resorts to stories and amorous plots that tend to make us laugh at how they evolve. But cultural, generational or class clashes are such recurring topics that they have ended up tiring the viewer.

It is difficult to find comedies that go further, that are spontaneous and that do not produce that feeling of “already seen”. That’s why Holy Camp is a real cinematic novelty.

Can we talk about religion in a comedy without offending anyone? Is it possible to initiate a totally impartial religious discourse? The answer to these questions is: yes. Holy Camp not only manages not to offend anyone, but also appeals to respect, love and enthusiasm. Believing in yourself, experimenting, growing, making mistakes and getting to know each other are some of the topics covered in this film.

Holy Camp : the power of the new generations

Youth is undoubtedly one of the protagonists of Holy Camp . Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi made themselves known with the irresistible series Paquita Salas. Holy Camp is their first feature film and is inspired by the play of the same name presented in Madrid in 2013. A new creation by two young authors who bring well-known and mature faces of Spanish cinema, such as Gracia Olayo, to the big screen, but also the freshness of actresses such as Macarena García or Anna Castillo.

From a musical point of view, too, the old and the new blend together, alternating the classic songs of a diva like Whitney Houston with the brand new songs that make up the original soundtrack. Electro Latino is a very recent genre that has conquered the youngest, as can be seen in the film where music represents this generation gap.

While the teenagers Susana and María dream of becoming such stars, Sister Bernarda, one of the nuns of the camp, totally ignores it, as well as Sister Milagros who, although she is younger, still belongs to another generation.

A generational clash?

The old always seems better than the new, but let’s not forget that what is old and classic today was once considered revolutionary and generated fear and rejection. Holy Camp perfectly decodes this generational contrast through music: God sings Whitney Houston’s songs through a nun who loves religious songs, while teenagers prefer Latin electronics. Still, everything seems to fit together perfectly.

Holy Camp could border on the absurd for some and even generate some rejection in other viewers. The truth, however, is that it manages to fascinate, especially the younger audience. The film is a glimmer of light that passes through us, which gives us hope and which transmits the desire to live and celebrate the life of young people.

At a time when the only successful musicals come from Broadway, Holy Camp reminds us that there are no boundaries or limits to expressing art. This is why it is important to support young talents and give more space to non-American productions.

Holy Camp : which path to choose?

Holy Camp is set in a summer camp run by nuns called La Brújula (the compass in Italian). The name is more than apt, because the choral cast that makes up the film in that field will find its destiny trying not to lose orientation.

The young people living in the camp don’t have much interest in religion or religious activities, they are there to have fun, sneak out and party like any teenager their age. María and Susana are two friends with a great passion for music, especially for Latin electronics and have no idea who Whitney Houston is.

Like all teenagers, they dream of making their wishes come true, which, however irrational they may seem, make their life a little more bearable. They want to be successful, they want to make their way in the music business, they are innocent and they get excited easily.

Both live for the day, worrying about the present and thinking only of having fun. During the film they often say: “In the meantime let’s do it and then we’ll see!”. This motto clearly represents the attitude of girls towards life, that is, do not give too much weight to anything and that the important thing is to live the present, without worrying too much about the future.

This attitude contrasts sharply with the righteousness of Sister Milagros and Sister Bernarda. Sister Milagros is young and very permissive with girls, which is why she is not taken very seriously and girls take advantage of her goodness. Sister Bernarda, on the other hand, is a devoted woman who intends to put the youngest on the right path even if her methods are unorthodox and obsolete.

Responding to the “call”: to discover oneself

Over the course of the film, each of the characters will discover aspects of themselves that they did not know and will trace their own personal path. The religious argument anticipated by the title of the film is linked to the character of María and her encounter with God. That celestial “call” that will make her rethink her life, her future and her role in the world. The call will manifest itself in different ways for each character, not only in the form of God, but above all of love and self-discovery.

Finally, it will lead to the acceptance of the different realities and singularities of the characters. The old and the new, the old and the modern values… but, in the end, feelings, love, acceptance and respect prevail.

In short, Holy Camp is a fun musical, necessary and capable of conveying the true meaning of a “call”, in the most symbolic sense of personal discovery  that brings a ray of light and a desire to live in these somewhat dark times.