El fondo del mar, Damián Szifrón, Argentina, 2003, 92’
On 17 May, 2014, the third full-length film from Argentine director Damián Szifrón, Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales), debuted at the Grand Théâtre Lumière during the Cannes Film Festival and became one of the year's greatest box office and critical successes. Now, a flashback: eleven years earlier, after finishing his studies in film direction at the Universidad del Cine, young director Damián Szifrón debuted his first full-length feature at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, and began his promising career: the title received the Best Ibero-American Film award, the FIPRESCI Award, and the Audience Award; and after this opening, it made the rounds at the world's most important film festivals, including the San Sebastian Film Festival, where the film was recognised with a special mention from the jury.
Ezequiel Toledo (Daniel Hendler) is 26 years old and about to receive his degree on Architecture, and he lives obsessed with the comings and goings of his girlfriend Ana (Dolores Fonzi). When a third character enters the scene, the emotional triangle shatters into a million pieces, and gives way to a night-time film of persecution and revenge. The director himself defined the plot as "the crossroads between paranoia and egocentrism". And so it is: the film moves from a certain idea of comedy, to a dramatic suspense film with influences from Scorsese's darkest work, or Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut.
Damián Szifrón debuted his first full-length feature at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, and began his promising career: the title received the Best Ibero-American Film award, the FIPRESCI Award, and the Audience Award; and after this opening, it made the rounds at the world's most important film festivals.