Arauco Hernández

The enemies of pain

A German actor comes to Montevideo looking for his wife. He is quite rude and speaks very bad Spanish. He has a talent for getting himself into trouble. A few hours after his arrival loses his way in the streets and runs into a group of young men who try to rob him. Pedro, an ex-addict in his forties, intervenes and helps him get away, gives him roof over the head and some advice about how to get around in the city. Along the way the foreigner tells the story of his lost love to various strangers and this is how he recruits Nelson, a laconic security guard whose wife has left him and who enters into the German’s quest as if it was his own. With Pedro and Nelson, this German sets out on a journey through the suburbs of Montevideo. United by suffering, the three men search for the German’s woman as if each of them was searching for his own. Blinded by their inner turmoil, this improvised gang go out to raise hell in the deserted city where only people who have not  been able to leave remain. An adventure in vandalism shot through with fierce bitter-sweet humour.