The Maid

This small-scale, offbeat art film from Chile delivers a big punch, hitting a nerve that so many of us can relate to in South Africa. The story examines the intimate yet often difficult and uncomfortable relationship that exists between a live-in maid and the family that she serves.

Raquel has worked for the bourgeois family in question for more than half her life. She doesn’t particularly like it – in fact she has some serious rage that’s built up over 23 years – but it’s her job, and she does it well. So, when the family decide to hire someone else to assist Raquel, her animosity grows, making life even more awkward for the family.

The story plays a secondary role to what is inferred and what remains unsaid in the film, however. The delicate act of including another person into the family out of a sense of moral duty is so expertly and painfully explored that you'll find yourself squirming in your seat. A fascinating and powerful look at a rather taboo subject.

Rating: 3.5 outta 5.