A Place in the World (1992)
Un lugar en el mundo
Film details
Drama · Adolfo Aristarain · 2h 0min
Synopsis
Mario and Ana, in voluntary exile from Buenos Aires, live in a remote Argentine valley with their 12-year-old son Ernesto. Mario runs a school and a wool cooperative; Ana, a doctor, heads a clinic with Nelda, a progressive nun. Into this idealistic family comes Hans, a jaded Spanish geological engineer -- surveying the land for the local patron, to see if it can be dammed for hydro-electric power, which would drive the peasants from the land into the cities.
Verdict
Story of family roots and a rural community threatened by external interests.
In-depth analysis
A Place in the World narrates Ernesto's return to a Puntano valley where his parents chose to live among peasants after leaving Buenos Aires. The story explores the tension between communal life rooted in the land and the threat posed by a Spanish geologist hired to search for oil. The film meticulously depicts the daily life of the peasants, their bonds of solidarity, and the defense of their way of life against external pressures. There is no violent, sexual content, nor inappropriate language. On an ideological level, the work presents a wholesome vision of family, work, and belonging to a specific community, without questioning human nature or promoting relativism. It highlights the value of fidelity to one's roots and peaceful resistance against dispossession. The moral conflict centers on loyalty to genuine bonds and the dignity of rural labor, offering a realistic and hopeful perspective on the sense of belonging and responsibility towards others.