Ana Apontes

Fleeing homophobic attacks, Nino moves to a rural house amidst a forest haunted by Almamula, a monster that takes those who commit carnal sins. In a world of whispers, unspoken desires and prayers, Nino’s curiosity and impulses rise to the surface.

Eva is just passing through Madrid. She spends her days there alone: she doesn't know anyone and isn’t particularly interested in getting to know new people. The city is therefore an unfamiliar place where she wanders aimlessly, her curiosity somewhat dampened. But one afternoon, at the Reina Sofía Museum, a man approaches her. His name is Dante and he is an Argentine historian researching labor struggles in his country and the career of Juan Bialet Massé.

Nina and Fermín spend the night in the neighborhood where their father is a security guard. Between lights and shadows, they walk, play, eat. Nina observes others in silence, as though she were looking at herself in a mirror that is about to break. The night moves stealthily on, while other children watch them from their windows.

Guillermo Franco photographs the same city every day of his life. He does so with an analog camera, stores the rolls for years, and develops them randomly. He archives the negatives and, some time later, rediscovers those images. Under a philosophy that prioritizes the emotional experience of looking, Franco builds, over time, an intimate cartography of his own gaze and, at the same time, a visual memory of his city. Pequeños ojos rescues his artistic process and reveals the essence of who is, perhaps, the greatest exponent of everyday life photography in Córdoba in Argentina.

It's late morning and Franca is sleeping. Maria interrupts her, wakes her up and covers her, in an attempt to get her out of her apathy. Maria is a little drunk and excited after a long night of partying. Franca, on the other hand, is sad and going through a crisis. The two friends talk between places, about the comfort and intimacy they share, about transference, time and how life goes.

A girl grows restless in a village surrounded by mountains and churches in northern Argentina. It hasn't rained for a long time and the rivers are dry. From her room, the girl fantasises about things she is not yet allowed to do. She confesses her wish to the Virgin.

Paula (11 years old) is waiting in a bus station for someone to pick her up. An unknown young man sits next to her. A casual conversation is the beginning of the relationship to be established between them throughout the day.

A divorced taxi driver shows up with a black eye at the home of his ex-wife’s new family; he’s been invited to dinner and he desperately wants to reconnect with his young daughter. A professional magician’s car breaks down and he ends up spending an emotionally intense night with a young, widowed toll booth worker. A singer songwriter serving a lengthy prison sentence is released for one night to perform at a local community centre. These three deeply engaging stories about yearning for connection unfold in parallel, one New Year’s Eve in a small town in central Uruguay, balancing the universality of human suffering with a powerful sense of hope.