Icíar Bollaín - Te doy mis ojos aka Take my eyes (2003)

A couple breaks up after the husband's violent and abusive nature finally becomes too much for his wife, but the breakup becomes a rebuilding experience for both of them as they pick up the tattered remains of their lives. Winner of an astonishing 61 awards, Te Doy Mis Ojos, directed by one of Spain's most promising woman directors Icíar Bollaín, is a powerful film about reclaiming one's dignity and finding the hero within ourselves to change our lives.

Una noche de invierno, una mujer, Pilar, sale huyendo de su casa. Lleva consigo apenas cuatro cosas y a su hijo, Juan. Escapando de Antonio, un marido que la maltrata y con la que lleva 9 años casada. Antonio no tarda en ir a buscarla. Pilar es su sol, dice, y además “le ha dado sus ojos”...




Beautifully shot in Toledo, Spain, the film is about the courage and triumph of an abused woman, Pilar, (Laia Marull in an award-winning performance) who escapes from her husband's regular outbursts of violent rage. One winter's night Pilar flees from her house. With nothing but a couple of belongings, she and her son Juan (Nicolás Fernández Luna) go to live with her sister Ana (Candela Peña). While supportive, Ana doesn't fully understand Pilar's situation. Pilar's mother, Aurora (Rosa María Sardá), refuses to acknowledge the problem. Realising that Pilar has left him for good, her husband Antonio (powerfully portrayed by Luis Tosar) is desperate to win her back. He sends her constant presents and even attends therapy sessions in order to work through his anger. As far as he is concerned, Pilar is his life and has "given him her eyes". Meanwhile, Pilar gets a job at an art museum and tries to restart her life. Contrary to how she hoped a marriage would be, it becomes clear that home means hell, love means pain and the person who promised protection is actually the cause of terror.




Te Doy Mis Ojos is a strong film boasting vivid performances by its two lead actors, tackling the issue of domestic violence yet without the conventional portrayals of 'victims' and dark endings.
What is unique about this film is that it also tells her husband's story as he struggles with his inner violence towards woman and his somewhat distorted love for his wife. The film opens up many interesting discussion about domestic violence and its consequences. A must see.

Rottentomatoes 91% Consensus: "Graced with effective performances, Take My Eyes compellingly explores the subject of domestic abuse while avoiding simplistic characterizations."




Pilar huye en plena noche de su casa, situada en un barrio periférico y residencial de Toledo; lleva consigo a su hijo de unos ocho años. En su huida busca refugio en casa de su hermana, una restauradora de arte que lleva una vida independiente al lado de su pareja escocesa, ambos residen en la parte vieja e histórica de Toledo.
Pilar es una víctima más de los malos tratos conyugales, que intenta rehacer su vida y empieza a trabajar como cajera de visitas turísticas en la iglesia que alberga el cuadro El entierro del Conde de Orgaz. A través de su nuevo trabajo comienza a relacionarse con otras mujeres. Antonio, su marido, emprende su busca y su recuperación, promete cambiar y busca ayuda en un psicólogo. Según palabras de Icíar Bollaín: «Te doy mis ojos cuenta la historia de Pilar y Antonio pero también de quienes los rodean, una madre que consiente, una hermana que no entiende, un hijo que mira y calla, unas amigas, una sociedad y una ciudad como Toledo que añade con su esplendor artísitico y su peso histórico y religioso una dimensión más a esta historia de amor, de miedo, de control y de poder.»


Script/Guión: Icíar Bollaín, Alicia Luna
Music/Música: Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography/Fotografía: Carles Gusi
Cast/Reparto: Laia Marull, Luis Tosar, Candela Peña, Rosa María Sardá, Kity Manver, Sergi Calleja, Nicolás Fernández Luna, Chus Gutiérrez, Elena Irureta, Dave Mooney