Atlántida
Argentina
Inés María Barrionuevo
Córdoba province, Argentina 1987.
It is a hot summer day and a long awaited storm is slowly approaching.
It is an oppressive day in the small rural town of La Carlota that shows the signs of months of severe drought.
ELENA and LUCÍA are two teenage sisters, their parents have gone on holiday and they are home alone.
ELENA (14), has fallen riding her moped and has her leg in plaster up to her knee, she spends all day in bed, entertaining herself watching soap operas, reading adventure stories and annoying and bossing her older sister, Lucia.
LUCIA (17) spends her time studying, preparing for her application to university in Buenos Aires and her chance to live the small town behind.
Elena’s friends are fighting the heat at the local swimming pool where gossip is the major sport. There is great excitement amongst the teenagers to find out who kissed who the previous night at the town square.
Boys and girls gather in separate groups. Laura (15) and Juan (15), each to their own friends, are telling about the kiss they have shared.
Out of town, in a farm, Andrés (15) a young beekeeper, and his brothers, are looking for beehives preparing for the opening night of the beekeeping fair, the town’s main summer event.
That afternoon Elena is waiting for IGNACIO (35), a handsome doctor, friend of the family who is supposed to take her cast off that same day.
Elena is upset, she is fed-up with having her leg in plaster and misses the pool and the excitement
Her friends ANA (14) and CLAUDIA (15) come to visit and try cheering her up reading a book from the “Choose your own adventure” series.
The girls find that in the book, as in life, there are too many alternatives and it is hard to make a choice. Ana and Claudia live.
After a big argument between the two sisters Lucia takes a break from her books and decides to go for a drive in her parents’ pickup.
At the beekeeping fair she meets Ana, who invites her to have an ice cream.
At the ice cream shop Lucia much to her surprise finds herself engaged in an animated conversation with Ana.
At the house Elena welcomes Ignacio, the doctor who decides not to take her cast off. Bored and upset, she persuades the doctor to let her join him in his rounds.
Andrés (15) meets Rocío (12) in a precarious shack where she hides to read. After an approaching her, he confronts Horacio (15), Rocío’s brother, due to a rural conflict about some neighbor’s pigs. Rocío defends Andrés from Horacio.
Lucia teaches Ana to drive on the outskirts of town. As they run out of fuel, they decide to take a shortcut through a field where they fear coming across a dangerously hidden well in which, according to town’s say, a youngster fell never to be seen again..
Ignacio is doing his round in the company of Elena when he is informed about a shotgun accident. In the emergency he has to assist the injured patient with her help; Elena faints overwhelmed by the situation.
In the early evening the teenagers get together at the town square to play “kisses and slaps”. Juan, under friend pressure, tells everybody about the “secret kiss”, which makes Laura go mad.
At last the long and awaited storm breaks out with a heavy downpour.
Under the rain Andrés arrives at the beekeeping fair carrying his beehives as people are busy taking down the awnings. He finds Rocío watching the rain fall.
Juan, sorry for disclosing their secret, looks for Laura at the club and tries to make up to her, but she rejects him.
It’s already night when LUCIA and ANA arrive back in town under the rain, as they say goodbye they share a kiss.
Ignacio drives Elena home. When they arrive she is about to burst into tears overwhelmed by the day’s real adventures.
Elena hugs Ignacio and stares at him; he looks at her tenderly avoiding her gaze comforting her but feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
LUCIA arrives home to finds ELENA crying in the bathroom as she is laboriously cutting the plaster with scissors, taking it off by herself.
Lucia joins her in silence. They sit in the kitchen. Something has changed in them.
Outside the rain keeps falling.
It is a hot summer day and a long awaited storm is slowly approaching.
It is an oppressive day in the small rural town of La Carlota that shows the signs of months of severe drought.
ELENA and LUCÍA are two teenage sisters, their parents have gone on holiday and they are home alone.
ELENA (14), has fallen riding her moped and has her leg in plaster up to her knee, she spends all day in bed, entertaining herself watching soap operas, reading adventure stories and annoying and bossing her older sister, Lucia.
LUCIA (17) spends her time studying, preparing for her application to university in Buenos Aires and her chance to live the small town behind.
Elena’s friends are fighting the heat at the local swimming pool where gossip is the major sport. There is great excitement amongst the teenagers to find out who kissed who the previous night at the town square.
Boys and girls gather in separate groups. Laura (15) and Juan (15), each to their own friends, are telling about the kiss they have shared.
Out of town, in a farm, Andrés (15) a young beekeeper, and his brothers, are looking for beehives preparing for the opening night of the beekeeping fair, the town’s main summer event.
That afternoon Elena is waiting for IGNACIO (35), a handsome doctor, friend of the family who is supposed to take her cast off that same day.
Elena is upset, she is fed-up with having her leg in plaster and misses the pool and the excitement
Her friends ANA (14) and CLAUDIA (15) come to visit and try cheering her up reading a book from the “Choose your own adventure” series.
The girls find that in the book, as in life, there are too many alternatives and it is hard to make a choice. Ana and Claudia live.
After a big argument between the two sisters Lucia takes a break from her books and decides to go for a drive in her parents’ pickup.
At the beekeeping fair she meets Ana, who invites her to have an ice cream.
At the ice cream shop Lucia much to her surprise finds herself engaged in an animated conversation with Ana.
At the house Elena welcomes Ignacio, the doctor who decides not to take her cast off. Bored and upset, she persuades the doctor to let her join him in his rounds.
Andrés (15) meets Rocío (12) in a precarious shack where she hides to read. After an approaching her, he confronts Horacio (15), Rocío’s brother, due to a rural conflict about some neighbor’s pigs. Rocío defends Andrés from Horacio.
Lucia teaches Ana to drive on the outskirts of town. As they run out of fuel, they decide to take a shortcut through a field where they fear coming across a dangerously hidden well in which, according to town’s say, a youngster fell never to be seen again..
Ignacio is doing his round in the company of Elena when he is informed about a shotgun accident. In the emergency he has to assist the injured patient with her help; Elena faints overwhelmed by the situation.
In the early evening the teenagers get together at the town square to play “kisses and slaps”. Juan, under friend pressure, tells everybody about the “secret kiss”, which makes Laura go mad.
At last the long and awaited storm breaks out with a heavy downpour.
Under the rain Andrés arrives at the beekeeping fair carrying his beehives as people are busy taking down the awnings. He finds Rocío watching the rain fall.
Juan, sorry for disclosing their secret, looks for Laura at the club and tries to make up to her, but she rejects him.
It’s already night when LUCIA and ANA arrive back in town under the rain, as they say goodbye they share a kiss.
Ignacio drives Elena home. When they arrive she is about to burst into tears overwhelmed by the day’s real adventures.
Elena hugs Ignacio and stares at him; he looks at her tenderly avoiding her gaze comforting her but feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
LUCIA arrives home to finds ELENA crying in the bathroom as she is laboriously cutting the plaster with scissors, taking it off by herself.
Lucia joins her in silence. They sit in the kitchen. Something has changed in them.
Outside the rain keeps falling.
Support:
Festivals and Awards:
Berlin 2014, section Generation 14plus
Toulouse 2014: Special Mention of the Jury
Geneva 2014, Filmar en América Latina
Toulouse 2014: Special Mention of the Jury
Geneva 2014, Filmar en América Latina
World Sales:
Media Luna