''Déficit'' is a 2007 Mexican drama film directed by
Gael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal (; born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican actor and filmmaker. He is known for his performances in the films ''Amores perros'' (2000), ''Y tu mamá también'' (2001), ''Bad Education (2004 film), Bad Education'' (2004), ''The Mot ...
in his directorial debut. It was written by Kyzza Terrazas and debuted at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
on 21 May 2007.
In the film the lives of the rich Cristobal and his sister are contrasted with those of the servants on the estate. However, the riches are from illegal sources it would seem, and his father is on the run in Europe. In particular it is made clear that his childhood friend Adan, is now firmly kept in his place as the family gardener, and is no longer treated as a friend.
Plot
It tells the story of a rich young man, Cristobal, and his friends throwing a
house party
A house party is a type of party held at the home of the party's host.
Organization
A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, word of mouth, pos ...
over the course of a weekend at his parents' home in
Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán () is a town in the central Mexican state of Morelos. It is located at in the heart of the Tepoztlán Valley. The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name. The town had a population of 14,130 inhabit ...
. It is implied through murmurings that his father is in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
trying to settle finances and avoid corruption charges. At the beginning of the film, he is driven to the house by one of his
Indian servants. They drive through a group of protesters without ever really wondering what they are protesting about. His hippie sister, Elisa, has already invaded the place with her drug-addled friends hailing from places such as Brazil and Japan. The two groups seem disparate but it's nothing that can't be resolved through sharing alcohol and
marijuana
Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
. Already at the house is a family who work as the groundskeepers and Adan, also a twenty-something who has grown up with them but works for them, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere as Cristobal barks out orders.
Cristobal and Adan vie for the attention of Dolores, an Argentine girl at the party whose family has also escaped Argentina due to financial problems. Cris also struggles with his girlfriend, Mafer, constantly phoning him and finding out that he didn't get into
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, where his father wanted him to go. When he finds out that Adan did get into a university in the United States, their rivalry grows even greater. During a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
match in the garden, Cris purposely fouls Adan, showing his bitterness.
Cris and Dolores grow close and begin kissing, only to be interrupted by one of Mafer's phone calls. That night, a
rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
is held. Elisa, on an
ecstasy trip, wanders into the garden and finds Adan sitting in a tree on the perimeter, as he had returned to observe their antics after he had already left. She kisses him, but then begins to
overdose
A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014. . She calls for Cristobal and he takes her into the house and blames Adan for what has happened. Cristobel starts a fight with Adan but is overpowered, and in frustration calls Adan an Indio, as a derogatory, deeply hurting Adan and reinforcing their differences. Elisa insists that he should not take her to a hospital. He finds she has been given three pills by one of the boys and the guests are asked to leave. Mafer then turns up, furious that he has been flirting with other women while she was trying to get to the party (Cris having ignored her phone call asking to come and pick her up). Cris receives a mobile phone call, which he can see is from his father, but he doesn't answer it and bursts into tears. The day saw him rejected from Harvard, lose his girlfriend (and Dolores) and his sister overdose on ecstasy, with the rift from his parents firmly entrenched and the differences between Adan perceived
Cast
*
Gael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal (; born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican actor and filmmaker. He is known for his performances in the films ''Amores perros'' (2000), ''Y tu mamá también'' (2001), ''Bad Education (2004 film), Bad Education'' (2004), ''The Mot ...
as Cristobal
*
Luz Cipriota
María Luz Cipriota (born 6 September 1985), known professionally as Luz Cipriota, is an Argentine actress, classic dancer and model.
Career
She began her career as a film actress in 2006 starring in the film Deficit, directed by Gael Garcí ...
as Dolores
*
Tenoch Huerta Mejía
José Tenoch Huerta Mejía (; born January 29, 1981) is a Mexican actor. He has appeared in a number of movies in Latin America and Spain, starring in both feature films, short films, and '' Narcos: Mexico'', credited as Tenoch Huerta. He is f ...
as Adan
*
Camila Sodi
Camila Ía González Sodi (; born 14 May 1986) is a Mexican singer, actress and model. She is the niece of the singer and actress Thalía and a member of the Sodi family.
Family life
Camila Ía González Sodi was born in Mexico City, Mexico ...
as Elisa
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deficit
2007 drama films
2007 films
Mexican drama films
2000s Spanish-language films
Films about drugs
Films about race and ethnicity
Films about dysfunctional families
2007 directorial debut films
Spanish-language drama films