Herencia (2001)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Paula Hernández

Writer:

Paula Hernández (writer)

Release Date:

20 June 2002 (Argentina)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Vayas a donde vayas, siempre estás a tiempo.

Plot:

Peter, a young German, enters a suburban Buenos Aires restaurant; seeking only directions, he instead...

Plot Keywords:

Italian Immigrant | One Word Title | Independent Film

Awards:

11 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Rita Cortese	...	Olinda
Adrián Witzke	...	Peter
Martín Adjemián	...	Federico
Julieta Díaz	...	Luz
Héctor Anglada	...	Ángel
Eduardo Cutuli	...	Tito (as Cutuli)
Carlos Portaluppi	...	Raúl
Graciela Tenenbaum	...	Elsa
Ernesto Claudio	...	Hombre Inmobiliaria
Damián Dreyzik	...	Hombre Ketchup (as Damián Dreizik)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Oscar Alegre	...	Encargado Pensión
Sofia Berenblum	...	Vecina 2
Isaac Fajm	...	Hombre Calle
Gabriel Fernández	...	Marido Belén
Carlos Lanari	...	Vecino
Mariana Pinamonti	...	Belén
Mariana Prommel	...	Vecina 1
Martín Ricci	...	Luis
María José Silva	...	Loli
Elvira Villarino	...	Vecina

Also Known As:

Inheritance (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Argentina

Language:

Spanish | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Spain:7

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company:

Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (INCAA)

A super Porteño film

We've lived in Buenos Aires, the location for Herencia, for almost two years, and enjoyed watching this film. Besides the short scenes where Peter and Luz visit the sites of the city, the film keeps itself to some of the lesser known, even seedier sections of the city, giving the viewer a different picture of this world class city.

One of the opening scenes is humorous, where Peter, following the address on the letter, arrives to find his lost love, only to find out that she lives an hour away....not unusual in a city of 12 or so million where many streets and areas have the same name. This happened recently to me: I followed some directions specifically, only to find out that another area, with the same names, was the area I needed.

Peter is also humorous trying to speak Spanish. He mixes the formal "you" or "usted", with the informal "you" or "tú", and then adds the informal Argentine "you" or "vos". He does this in the same sentence, to the same person! Ah, the joys of language learning.

BA is an international city, so unlike the traditional Latino world pictured by many of dark skinned, dark haired, Andean mountain type people. The story of two foreigners arriving to find new lives, new loves, and new pain, is common. One touching scene has Olinda finding an Italian newspaper and savoring an hour reading her native language.It eventually leads her back "home" to Italy, though much of her remains "porteño" (a resident of Buenos Aires).

I recommend this film. It is well scripted, directed and shows human compassion between two people making a new world their own.I walk the streets of BA every day, always feeling that I belong, and always feeling a bit foreign. At their core, so do Peter and Olinda.