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Los pasos perdidos
Los pasos perdidos (2001) is a Argentine and Spanish drama film directed by Manane Rodriguez and written by Rodriguez and Xavier Bermudez. The film features Irene Visedo, Luis Brandoni, Federico Luppi, among others.
Plot
The films tells the story of Monica Erigaray (Irene Visedo) who's twenty years old and lives with her parents Ernesto Erigaray (Luis Brandoni) and Ines (Concha Velasco). Seventeen years ago the Erigaray's left Argentina and moved to Spain to live a peaceful and quiet life.
However, things change rather abruptly when a famous Argentinian writer named Bruno Leardi (Federico Luppi) claims that Monica is in reality his grand-daughter named Diana, daughter of his son Diego Liardi who disappeared during during the Dirty War in Argentina.
At one point in the film Ernesto Erigaray and his cohorts accost Bruno and make it clear that harm will come to him if he persists with his accusations and attempts to see Monica.
Erigaray decides to confront Bruno in his hotel room, but nothing is settled. The family ends up in a Court approved hearing and Ernesto Erigaray is accused of being the Argentine torturer known by his men as "El Sapo" ("The Toad") who did his nasty work in a place known as "the Cesspit." Subsequently, DNA tests prove that Monica is indeed the daughter of Diego Liardi and Sara Pereira (a Spanish citizen). Monica leaves the Erigaray's and they are arrested and tried for the murder of a Spanish citizen and Monica's illegal abduction.
One year later Monica travels to Buenos Aires and marches with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. She drops by her grandfather's home and tells him Diana has come to call on him.
The film ends with the dedication:
To the mothers and grandmothers of Plaza del Mayo, and to those who resist the abduction of our memories.
Cast
Irene Visedo as Monica Erigaray (Diana Liari Pereira)
Luis Brandoni as Ernesto Erigaray
Concha Velasco as Ines Laroche
Federico Luppi as Bruno Leardi
Juan Querol as Pablo
Jesus Blanco as Luis
Gabriel Moreno as Gomez
Pedro Miguel Martinez as Melendez
Cristina Collado as Miriam
Amparo Valle as Matilde
Paulina Galvez as Abogada Leardi
Yael Barnatan as Silvia
Critical review
Jonathan Holland, film critic for Variety magazine, gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "Built around the children of Argentina's "desaparecidos" -- political victims who disappeared during the 1970s military dictatorship -- The Lost Steps delivers a challenging political message in an easy-to-swallow manner. Uruguayan director Manane Rodriguez's sophomore feature -- following Portrait of Woman With Man in Background (1997) -- has powerful moments, but by focusing too strongly on the human interest rather than the politics, it ends up looking like a skeleton-in-the-closet family drama. Appearances in politically themed fests could be an option." Holland, Jonathan. Variety, film review, November 30, 2001. Last accessed: January 26, 2008.
Awards
Wins
Valladolid International Film Festival: FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention, Manane Rodriguez; for confronting universal ambiguities in personal and social-political contexts and opting for harsh truth against convenient lies; 2001.
Toulouse Cinespana, Toulouse, France: Prix Cinespana, Manane Rodriguez; 2002.
Nominations
Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Actress, Irene Visedo; 2002.
Bogota Film Festival: Golden Precolumbian Circle, Best Film, Manane Rodriguez; 2002.
Valladolid International Film Festival: Golden Spike, Manane Rodriguez; 2001.
External links
Los pasos perdidos at the cinenacional.com .
Los pasos perdidos review at La Butaca by Ruben Corral .
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Los pasos perdidos
