Viridiana

Viridiana is a 1961 drama film directed by Luis Buñuel. The screenplay, co-written with Julio Alejandro, stars Silvia Pinal in the title role as Viridiana, a young novice who has just received permission to take her vows. On a visit to her wealthy uncle, Don Jaime (Fernando Rey), she encounters a complex world of charity and hypocrisy as she attempts to live a life of virtue amid social upheaval. The film satirizes religious life, class conventions, and human frailty, employing Buñuel's characteristic blend of irony, black humor, and surreal imagery.

Viridiana won the Palme d'Or at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival but provoked strong controversy for its perceived critique of Catholicism. The Spanish authorities banned the film upon its release, and it was not released domestically for many years, becoming a touchstone in debates about censorship and artistic freedom before a later re-release after Franco's regime ended.

It is widely regarded as one of Buñuel's masterworks and a landmark of 1960s international cinema. The film's provocative portrayal of piety and hypocrisy influenced later works in Spanish and world cinema and remains a focal point in discussions of censorship, religion, and morality in film.