“Lucrecia Martel’s second feature is further proof of the vitality of Argentine cinema, a fact noticed by many film lovers over the last few years. The Holy Girl tells the story of Amalia, who like many other girls in her local choir, is asking herself questions about her religious beliefs. When Dr. Jano arrives for a conference at the hotel where Amalia lives with her mother, she feels as if she has been given a mission: save from sin this man who is seducing her mother, but who at the same time is having an increasingly troubled relationship with her. Martel captures the doubts and turmoil of a young girl with delicacy and sensuality. She defines her lucid film as a tale about good and evil — not about the clash of good and evil, but about the difficulty of distinguishing between the two. One of the best Latin American films of 2004, which also competed at Cannes, this is a most difficult and cerebral film, and a compelling follow-up to Martel’s masterpiece The Swamp.” -PSIFF 2005