It’s Maria’s fiftieth birthday and her family give her a jigsaw puzzle as a present. She is highly delighted and pleasantly surprised, because Maria has made an astonishing discovery: not only does this patient housewife enjoy doing puzzles – she’s also extremely good at them. Thrilled by her new passion, she goes straight back to the shop where her present was bought to get another puzzle, and comes across an advert on the notice board: “Partner wanted for puzzle tournament”. Maria plucks up all her courage and, ignoring her family’s reservations, decides to respond to the advert.
The man who wrote the note is an elderly bachelor who lives in an impressive mansion in town. He is soon enchanted by Maria’s anarchistic way of solving puzzles. Together they decide to enter for the world Puzzle Tournament in Germany. But first Maria and her partner must qualify in the local heats. Obsessed by her new hobby and, irresistibly attracted to the hitherto unknown world of the wealthy, she tells her family a little white lie so that she can train in peace. She bones up on the rules, immerses herself in the world of jigsaw puzzles and, together with her partner contestant, does everything in her power to make their dream a reality and bring the puzzle championship to Argentina.
Maria’s family has no idea about her new passion since it means nothing to either her husband or her sons. But before long her puzzle mania becomes a serious testing ground, and Maria must decide how much she can expect from her men. —Berlinale
