''The Other'' (El otro) is a 2007 Argentine, French, and German

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-g ...

, written and directed by

Ariel Rotter Ariel Rotter (born 1973 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a film director and screenplay writer. He works in the cinema of Argentina. Filmography * '' Sólo por hoy'' (2001) ''Just for Today'' * ''The Other'' (2007) a.k.a. ''El Otro'' * ''Incide ...

, his second feature. The picture won the

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (also Jury Grand Prix, Grand Prize of the Jury) is an award given by the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival to one of the feature films in competition. It is the runner-up to the Golden Bear prize an ...

, and actor

Julio Chávez Julio Hirsch (born 14 July 1956), known professionally as Julio Chávez, is an Argentine film and television actor. He was born in Buenos Aires, and received his first film role in 1973. Since 1976, he has had leading roles in Argentine cinema ...

was awarded the

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

at the 2007

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 festi ...

Plot

The film tells of Juan Desouza, a lawyer in his late 40s, who's happily married and his wife is expecting a child. On a one-day business trip to the country-side, Desouza embarks on an unintended journey. When he reaches his destination Desouza discovers that the man traveling next to him is not sleeping but dead. Secretly, he assumes the dead man's identity and invents a profession for himself. He finds a place to stay in the village where the man used to live and contemplates not returning. Juan Desouza undertakes an adventure into nature, into the rediscovery of his tastes and his basic instincts. He tries to grasp the idea that the life dealt out for him, and which he chose to live, is not the only one possible. He eventually goes back home, stronger from the spiritual experience.

Cast

as Juan Desouza *

María Onetto María Onetto (18 August 1966 – 2 March 2023) was an Argentine theatre, film, and television actress. She received the a 2011 Konex Award in entertainment for her theatrical work, and is also well known for her role in the 2006 Argentine TV se ...

* María Ucedo * Inés Molina *

Arturo Goetz Arturo L. Goetz (24 June 1944 – 28 July 2014) was an Argentine film actor. He worked in the cinema of Argentina. He studied for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1971 to 1974, and published his findings ...

* Osvaldo Bonet * Raminta Kavaliūnaitė

Production

The film was executive produced by Aqua Films'

Verónica Cura Verónica Cura is a film producer, production manager, and production designer. She works in the cinema of Argentina. Cura has worked at Aqua Films with Enrique Piñeyro, a film production company in Argentina. Cura owns since 2008 her own Prod ...

, and produced by Enrique Piñeyro and Christian Baute. ''El otro'' was funded by the

Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales The National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts ( es, Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales, INCAA; also referred to as the Argentine National Film Board) is an agency of the Government of Argentina. It promotes the Argentine ...

(Argentina), the Vision Sudest Fund (Switzerland), the

World Cinema Fund 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 festi ...

(Berlin International Film Festival), and the Hubert Bals Fund (Netherlands).

Distribution

The film was first presented at the

on February 13, 2007.

Reception

Critical response

The film was well received at the

winning a Jury ''Grand Prix'' Silver Bear. Film critic Annika Pham, who writes for ''CineEuropa'', liked the film, and wrote, "The film subtly explores the apprehension of death as well as the palpable yet invisible world that lurks underneath the surface. Few words are needed. We feel with Juan and easily relate to him. The scenes where he cares for his father, becoming his father’s father, are particularly moving."Pham, Annika
''CineEuropa'', film review, February 13, 2007.

Awards

Wins *

;

, Julio Chávez; 2007

References

External links

* *
''El otro''
at

cinenacional.com Cinenacional.com is a web portal and World Wide Web, web-based database about Cinema of Argentina, Argentine cinema. It is the most comprehensive site for information about the Argentine film industry, with a vast array of information on films, tel ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Otro, El 2007 films 2007 drama films Argentine independent films 2000s Spanish-language films French independent films German independent films Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize winners 2007 independent films 2000s French films