Argentina,
2002, 94 min
Shown in 2003
CREDITS
OTHER
Desolate, windy southern Patagonia seems to bring out the best in people, whether it’s an aging construction worker in Pablo Trapero’s Crane World (SFIFF 2001) or the three characters whose stories are gracefully intertwined in Historias Mínimas. Don Justo, an old man with failing eyesight, embarks on a 200-mile trek to retrieve his lost dog. He didn’t lose the dog, he says, the dog left him—and with good reason. Roberto, a traveling salesman prone to jealousy, must get a cake redecorated as part of his plan to win the affection of a young widow. Shy Maria, lured by the chance to appear on a TV game show, totes her baby to the (not-so-big) city of San Julian. As their paths crisscross, these modern-day pilgrims encounter a world of surprising generosity. Historias Mínimas is one of those gems of storytelling that too rarely find theatrical distribution. Director Carlos Sorín used two lightweight Super16 cameras to capture the improvisational spontaneity of his mostly nonprofessional cast. Their performances are held in tension with the abstract beauty of the Argentine landscape and the beguiling precision of Pablo Solarz’s screenplay. Small negotiations and insignificant objects—a turtle, a stolen 50-peso note—resonate in unexpected ways, as the travelers’ simple expeditions are revealed to be journeys of hope and redemption.
—Tom Powers