With the production values of a telenovella, this 7 hour mini-series looks at the life of Juanita Fernandez Solar, who becomes Sister Teresa in a Carmelite convent in Chile in the early 20th century. Her parents are not enthused, nor her sisters and brothers. It seems the only ones who understand are some of her friends who are also considering religious life.
The mini-series goes through her life as a teenager in a well-to-do family for about the first five hours, and then the last two are spent examining her life in the convent. The portrayal shifts as she becomes more and more aware of her frustration and lack of satisfaction in the world, her joy in worshiping God and speaking of Him, and her longing to be a sister.
I heartily recommend it. It may start a bit slow, but by the end the long viewing time is well worth it. The acting is amazingly good, and the story only develops in intensity in the convent.
It was out of print in English for years, but has recently been re-released (2009) on DVD by Ignatius Press.