Of Time and the Sea

In a crowded seaside town in Malta, Dimitrios drifts through a world of concrete, haunted by a mysterious past and detached from the world around him, until he meets Annie. Like him, she has a child she never sees, has suffered love's disappointments, and lives without freedom or companionship. Fate draws them together, yet circumstances pull them apart.

Sant films two age-old olive trees as if they are engaged in lively conversation. He uses the classic film grammar of reverse shots, mostly in close-up. It does require subtitling to clarify their arguments. Not that it matters much, as the trees actually have nothing to say to each other anymore.