Archive of films Value of Time / O ouro do tempo

Spain
2013, 97 min

Section: Official Selection - Competition
Year: 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.

Synopsis

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.

About the director

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.

Contacts

Xamalú Filmes, S. L.
Río de Monelos, N°2, 1°, 15006, A Coruna
Spain
Tel: +34 638 167 202
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.xamalufilmes.com

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About the film

Color, DCP
World premiere

Section:	Official Selection - Competition

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.

Guests

Manane Rodríguez

Producer

Xavier Bermúdez

Film Director, Film Director

Ernesto Chao

Actor

Nerea Barros

Actress