Alejandro and Aurora, two young students, leave Santiago and are on their way to spend Christmas with family in Aurora. At the foot of the Andes, the frustrations of Alejandro and Aurora’s doubts about her sexual identity cause tension. The two teens are on the verge of collapse when they discover the presence of a young girl, Alicia, a fragile girl of sixteen years who has fled her home. Gathered around an improvised Christmas tree, Alejandro and Aurora are fascinated by the enigmatic Alicia, who is becoming the object of their desire. As around them the city celebrates Christmas, the three orphans find love and escape from their loneliness. —Directors’ Fortnight
Sebastián Lelio (or Sebastián Campos) was born in Santiago, Chile. Upon graduating from the Chilean School of Cinema, he directed the short films 4 (95), Cuatro (96), Ciudad de Maravillas (02), Carga Vital (03), 12 Minutos (06) and El Efecto Kulechov (10). His features include The Sacred Family (05), Christmas (09) and The Year of the Tiger (11). —TIFF