“Blanquita,” Chile’s Official Oscar entry for 2022 for International Best Film Category, premiered in Venice earlier this year, winning the Best Screenplay prize for director Fernando Guzzoni. The film opens on Friday at Cinema Village in New York City, and at Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles.

Laura López debuts as an eighteen year-old resident of a foster home, who is a key witness in a trial against powerful politicians and businessmen implicated in a child sex scandal. As questions emerge, her role in the scandal becomes more and more unclear. Alejandro Goic co-stars as a priest who runs the home where the young woman lives. Other cast members include Amparo Noguera, Marcelo Alonso and Daniela Ramirez.

Film is inspired by the real-life early aughts Spiniak case, which involved a child prostitution ring that provided services to a number of Chileans politicians and businessmen. The case divided public opinion in Chile as it went through the courts, with doubts being cast on the testimony of a key witness who was caught up in the ring as a minor and accused two senators of abusing her. Guzzoni spent a year investigating the case in-depth before writing his screenplay.