MaestranzaFilms, producer of Un Certain Regard closing film Habana Blues, is preparingwhat will be its biggest film to date: 17th century biopic La Roldana with star Paz Vega.

Vega (Spanglish) will playthe title character, a talented, ahead-of-her-time sculptress in theartistically vibrant city of Seville in the 1600's.

DeA Planeta is in talks toco-produce the picture, which is scheduled to shoot in Seville next spring on aEuros 7m budget.

Maestranza chief AntonioPerez describes Luisa Ignacia Roldana, or La Roldana, as "beautiful, resigned,vivacious, modern." The daughter of a famous sculptor, she married anotherartist against her family's wishes. Although she worked in the courts of KingsCarlos II and Felipe V, she died poor and was survived by only two of the sixchildren she bore.

Roldana also promises to be a love letter to the Andalucian capital:Vega and Perez are both natives of Seville, as is LA-based Ignacio Darnaude,who developed the original idea with Maite Alvarez of the Getty Museum.