Libertarias

Libertarias
Theatrical release poster
Libertarias
Directed by	Vicente Aranda
Produced by	Andrés Vicente Gómez
Screenplay by	Vicente Aranda Antonio Rabinad
Starring	Ana Belén, Victoria Abril, Ariadna Gil Blanca Apilánez
Music by	José Nieto
Cinematography	José Luis Alcaine
Edited by	Teresa Font
Production company	Sdad Sogetel Lola Films Academy Pictures Era Films
Distributed by	Sogepaq Distribution S.A
Release date	2 October 1996 (Spain)
Running time	131 minutes
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish
Budget	ESP 700 million
Box office	€1.9 million

Libertarias (English: Libertarians) is a Spanish historical drama made in 1996. It was written and directed by Vicente Aranda.

In 1936, Maria (Ariadna Gil), a young nun is recruited by Pilar (Ana Belén), a militant feminist, into an anarchist militia following the onset of the Spanish Civil War. Guided by the older woman, Maria is exposed to the realities of war and revolution, and comes to question her former, sheltered life.

The movie is set in 1936 in Barcelona in the midst of the Spanish Revolution and Spanish Civil War. Militia women Pilar (Ana Belen) and Floren (Victoria Abril) are joined by former prostitute Charo (Loles Leon) and former nun Maria (Ariadna Gil). The film opens with scenes of working class militants demolishing and burning religious icons, as they shout "down with Capitalism!" and "long live the libertarian revolution!"

While fully immersed in the overall enthusiasm of revolutionary Spain, Pilar and friends find themselves fighting against deep gender inequality which complicates their efforts in the war against Francisco Franco's Nationalist/Fascist/Catholic forces. They encounter resistance even within their own "Free Women" (Mujeres Libres) organization as one woman (that resembles Federica Montseny) tries to persuade them to stay and work in defense factories, while men try to convince them to go work as cooks, not front-line soldiers.