A butler in the mansion on a large estate tries to maintain the old days of glory by clinging to his daily routine. Earth, fire, water and air are the elements with which the old Rafael fills his life. He tends the earth, fills the water bottle, collects firewood and breathes life into the fire.
No single action is emphasised or more important than any other. In the meantime, building workers have appeared in the house; they talk softly in the background about the painting they have to do. Little by little, building materials are dragged into the house, heralding the approaching end of Rafael’s old life. Memory is all that remains in this empty space.
With calm, occasionally literally misty images, the Chilean director Théo Court, who grew up in Spain, shows how this man becomes a shadow in his own house and is forced to move. At the end of his life, he faces the start of an uncertain journey.
Film details
- Countries of production
- Chile, Dominican Republic
- Year
- 2010
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2011
- Length
- 80'
- Medium/Format
- HDcam
