Introduced by Dr Ignacio Aguiló, University of Manchester, on Mon 16 Mar.
Film details
When three generations of a family gather at their country house to celebrate New Year’s Eve one hot Argentinian summer, numerous tensions simmer under the surface, pushing the women in particular to their limits. Luisa worries about her teenage daughter Ana’s sleepwalking habit, as well as Ana’s vulnerability as she enters puberty. Meanwhile Luisa struggles to relate to her husband or the rest of his family, not least his mother; Memé is an imposing matriarch presiding over the ancestral home and family publishing business, and also the numerous toxic relationships.
Thanks to lengthy script work and extensive backstories, often only hinted at, this is a wonderfully immersive experience that skilfully builds towards a shocking climax, with an exceptionally sensitive approach to violence against women.
