Cast

Martín, played by Walter Quiróz

Vidala (mysterious silent girl), played by Soledad Alfaro

Celador Salas, played by Ricardo Bartis

Violeta (girlfriend in Ushuai), played by Cristian Becerra

Wayta (Peruvian girlfriend), played by Liliana Flores

Helena (Martín’s mother), played by Dominique Sanda

Nicolás (Martín’s father), played by Marc Berman

Paizinho, played by Chiquinho Brandao

Tito the Hopegiver, played by Carlos Carella

Américo inconcluso, played by Kike Mendive

Martín’s musician friend, played by Fito Páez

Crew

Director: Fernando Solanas

Producers: Envar El Kadri, Fernando Solanas

Executive Producers: Assunção Hernandes, Djamila Olivesi, Luis Figueroa, Grazi Rade

Screenplay: Fernando Solanas

Cinematography: Félix Monti

Sound: Aníbal Libenson

Art Director: Fernando Solanas

Editors: Alberto Borella, Jacqueline Meppiel

Music: Egberto Gismonti, Astor Piazzolis, Fernando Solanas

Assistant Director: Horacio Guisado

Produced by: Cinesur (Argentina) and Les Films du Sud (France), in association with Films A 2 (France), Televisión Española (Spain), TVE S.A. (Spain), Channel Four (UK), Instituto Mexicano de Cine, IMCINE (Mexico), Ministère de la Culture et des Grands Travaux (France)

Award

Grand Prix Technique de la Commission Supérieure Technique, International Film Festival, Cannes, 1992

Plot

In the establishing scenes of the film, a 17-year-old Argentine boy, Martín, sees a number of buildings crash to the ground on what looks like a lake of ice. Set in Ushuia, in Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of Argentina, we witness the daily routine of a school – a Colegio Nacional Modelo – but it soon becomes clear this is no ordinary school: it starts snowing indoors, enormous framed paintings pictures of Argentina’s famous statesmen of the past – Sarmiento, etc. – keep crashing to the floor, and – to cap it all – the horse from San Martín’s statue is stolen. We cut to a depiction of Martín’s home life; we learn that his father left when he was young – leaving him a book of advice and also a cartoon strip based on his travels. It is clear that Martín does not get on at all with his step-father. He goes to see his girlfriend. The world – amazingly – starts tipping backwards and forwards like a boat. The musician leaves to go to Buenos Aires. The school brings a new statue of San Martín on his horse but it flies away. Martín has a fight with his step-father, then finds that his girlfriend has been forced to have an abortion. He decides to leave in search of his father. He takes his bicycle on his travels, first passing by the Magellan Straits, then visiting Patagonia.