Fuente Álamo, the Caress of Time

Colour, 35mm
Spain, 2001, 72 min
Section: Another View

Synopsis

Fuente Álamo, the 14th of September. This hot summer day seems like every other. But with the utmost patience, the inhabitants of this sleepy town await the year’s highpoint. The mayor of the town is once again happy to announce the Gazpacho Festival, an evening celebration of the cult dish, at which its fans will have the chance to test their culinary excellence. Since morning, the church clock tower has run at the same pace as always though many would gladly speed things up. Time is moving painfully slowly for the girls at the shoe factory, although a certain group of kids, enjoying their summer vacation, would be happy if time stood still. Taken all together, the panorama of the small town offers a miniature portrait of the inhabitants as they participate in the local colour of the summer day. Grandma Marie and her daily rituals form the axis of this nonstory, which mingles the everyday cares of various groups of townspeople, while the air tingles with an atmosphere of joyous expectation of the closing midnight party and concert.

About the director

Pablo García won the award for Best Screenplay at the L’Alternativa de Barcelona for his feature writer-director debut Fuente Álamo, the Caress of Time (2001).