''Absent'' ( es, Ausente) is a 2011 Spanish-language

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by Argentine director

Marco Berger Marco Berger (born 8 December 1977) is an Argentine people, Argentine film director and screenwriter. He studied at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires and made his directorial debut in 2007 with the short films ''Última voluntad'' and ''E ...

. The film tackles the notion of

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

of students, but director Marco Berger flips the dynamic. In this film, a young man wants to lure his teacher into a sexual relationship, rather than the other way round (i.e. where an older individual in a position of authority or trust becomes infatuated with a minor and lures the minor into a sexual relationship).

Synopsis

The story is told by Sebastián ( Carlos Echevarría), the sports coach who becomes the object of a student's affection. Martín (Javier De Pietro) is a 16-year-old student who is attracted to his coach, Sebastián. Sebastián tries to keep Martín at a distance, but at the same time tries to be kind and nurturing. Martín goes to great lengths in his attempt to get close to his teacher. When Martín hurts his eye during his swimming class, Sebastián initially takes him to the hospital. After treatment, Sebastián offers Martín a ride home. However, Martín was supposed to spend the night at a friend's house, so no one is expecting him to come home that night. Martín spends the night at Sebastián's house. Things come to a head when Sebastián realizes that he was being lied to and punches Martín in the face. He is not angry from disgust for being the object of Martín's desire, rather because Martín's dishonesty could potentially cost the coach his job. Offended, Martín taunts Sebastián, telling him to call the police and suggesting it would cause greater problems for Sebastián. Later, Martín accidentally falls off a roof after retrieving a neighbor's

soccer ball A football (also known as football ball, soccer ball, or association football ball specifically in the United Kingdom) is the ball used in the sport of association football. The name of the ball varies according to whether the sport is called " ...

, and Sebastián finds himself filled with remorse.

Style

The director is vague on certain plot points. In the last images, for example, there is a shot of Sebastián gently kissing Martín on the lips. It is not clear whether this actually happened or only occurred in Sebastián's imagination. It is also unclear whether Martín accidentally fell to his death, or whether it was suicide, driven by Sebastián's rejection. The viewer is kept contemplating if a romantic relationship had occurred, and if it did, if it is immoral in itself regardless of consent.

Reception

When the film won the "Teddy Award for Best Feature" by the Teddy Award Independent Jury at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

(Berlinale), the judging committee praised it as a film with "an original screenplay, an innovative aesthetic and a sophisticated approach, which creates dynamism. A unique combination of homoerotic desire, suspense and dramatic tension."Queerblog Italy: Cine gay: Teddy Award all'argentino Ausente di Marco Berger
During the Berlinale, The Hollywood Reporter published a review stating: "Despite its original twist on the tired pedophilia topic, ''Absent ''skirts the fringes of dull and would be commercially dismissable, were it not for the edgy mixing job and hyped-up soundtrack that together create a sense of artificial excitement. (...) The small cast is well-chosen and de Pietro, in his first film role, is a real discovery who opens up his character of Martin in ever surprising ways."

Cast

* Carlos Echevarría as Sebastián * Javier De Pietro as Martín * Antonella Costa as Mariana * Rocío Pavón as Analía * Alejandro Barbero as Juan Pablo

Awards and nominations

*2011: The film won the Teddy Awards for "Best feature film" at the

*2011: The actor Javier De Pietro was nominated for "Best New Actor" for his role Martín in the film during the

Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards The Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards are given by the Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences ( es, Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas de la Argentina) to honor achievement in Argentine cin ...

References

External links

* {{Teddy Award for Best Film 2011 films 2010s Spanish-language films 2011 thriller drama films Argentine LGBT-related films LGBT-related sports drama films Films directed by Marco Berger 2011 LGBT-related films Gay-related films 2011 drama films 2010s Argentine films Argentine thriller drama films Argentine sports drama films