The Militant

In 2002, Uruguay is gripped by a financial and political crisis that divides and paralyzes the country. Ariel, a slow-speaking young man with a slight disability, is a member of the students' union and becomes involved in strikes. When Ariel's father dies, he returns to his father's home.
The mortgage on the house is a millstone round Ariel's neck, as are the debts his father has run up, partly to pay for Ariel's education. A dubious business contact and his father's girlfriend - who is increasingly making herself at home there - force Ariel to take care of his father's land and livestock. This makes him a reluctant member of the bourgeoisie he so detests.
Ariel's lethargy and frustration represent a whole generation - perhaps even the whole country. With searching, at times dreamy images, Director Nieto (who won a Tiger Award in 2006 for The Dog Pound) effectively shows how a potentially rich inheritance can be frittered away.