Crane World

Black and white, 35mm
Argentina, 1999, 90 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Rulo is fifty and unemployed. Once a bass guitarist in a one-hit rock band, he is now condemned to all kinds of odd jobs. He has to support his son and his ex-wife. When he hears that a company is looking for a crane driver, he does everything he can to get the job. He learns to drive a crane and prepares for the work as best as he can. Filled with confidence he even starts an affair with Adriana, who sells vegetables at the market. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get his dream job as a crane driver and is forced to accept work in the South, thousands of miles from his home in Buenos Aires. An honest, almost neo-realistic report about life in contemporary Argentina, filled with irony and a sense of the inevitability of fate.

About the director

Pablo Trapero (b.1972, San Justo, a suburb of Buenos Aires). He studied architecture and film, worked as an assistant director and editor on several productions and has made two short films: Spoilt Brat (Mocoso malcriado, 1992/3) and Shops (Negocios, 1995). Mundo grúa is his feature debut.