Official Selection - Competition 2013 / O ouro do tempo / Spain 2013
Melancholy and humour characterise this tale of an aging doctor who, for over forty years, has been devotedly tending a bizarre "domestic grave” containing his beloved wife. When she died young, Alfredo had her body cryogenically frozen, convinced that progress in medical science would one day be able to bring her back to life.
A story of true love inspired by real events. Alfredo, a doctor, had his deceased young wife cryogenically frozen many years ago, convinced that one day science would be able to bring her back to life. The dedication with which the protagonist cares for this "domestic grave” becomes the basis for the portrayal of an intriguing individual, clearly eccentric, but admirable in his moral integrity. The narrative flows in a spirit of melancholy, in harmony with the changing seasons and the nostalgia of the central character. Yet there are moments of gentle humour as well, particularly in the scenes where Alfredo projects old family photographs in which his beloved Amalia flaunts her beauty. Light irony also underlies the depiction of the doctor’s daily life, with images reflecting his ambivalent relationship towards his housekeeper and nurse Corona and towards his son, who is the exact opposite of his father, yet they understand one another. Without resorting to dramatic plot twists, the film probes the hidden layers of human relationships and also explores issues of aging and passing.
97 min / Color, DCP
World premiere
Director Xavier Bermúdez
/ Screenplay Xavier Bermúdez
/ Dir. of Photography Alfonso Sanz
/ Music Coché Villanueva
/ Editor Xavier Bermúdez, Manane Rodríguez
/ Producer Manane Rodríguez, Xavier Bermúdez
/ Production Xamalú Filmes
/ Cast Ernesto Chao, Nerea Barros, Manuel Cortés, Marta Llarralde
/ Contact Xamalú Filmes, S. L.
Xavier Bermúdez (b. 1951, Orense, Spain) worked in the media. He made his first short, The Anarchist’s Daughter, in 1980. In 2000 he published a book on the famous filmmaker Buñuel: Mirror and Dream (Buñuel: espejo y sueño). That same year he made a video for Canal Plus entitled "Pilgrims,” included in the series "Seis miradas de Santiago.” He co-scripted the feature-length films by Manane Rodríguez Portrait of a Woman with a Man in the Background (Retrato de mujer con hombre al fondo, 1997), The Lost Steps (Los pasos perdidos, 2001), A Tale for Olivia (Un cuento para Olivia, 2008) and A Settling of Accounts (Un ajuste de cuentas, 2009). Apart from León and Olvido, which won Best Direction and Best Actress at Karlovy Vary in 2004, he also directed the features Black Light (Luz negra, 1992), Baby (Nena, 1997), Raphael (2008) and The Value of Time.
Xamalú Filmes, S. L.
Río de Monelos, N°2, 1°, 15006, A Coruna
Spain
Phone: +34 638 167 202
E-mail: [email protected]
Manane Rodríguez
Producer
Xavier Bermúdez
Film Director, Film Director
Ernesto Chao
Actor
Nerea Barros
Actress
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
