
Whenayoungwoman(LauraParedes)winsaradiocontest,herprizeisfourdaysinahotelinOstende,aseasidetownbytheAtlanticcoastintheprovinceofBuenosAires.Onlyit'snothighseason,sothebeachprovesblustery,thehotelisprettymuchemptyandshedoesn'thavemuchtodowhileshewaitsforherboyfriendtojoinher.Soshelistenstothestoriesofafriendlylocalwaiterandwatchesthecomingsandgoingsofanoldermanandthetwowomenwhoappeartobewithhim.FromElPamperoCine,thecompanyresponsibleforMarianoLlinás'ExtraordinaryStoriesandAlejoMoguillansky'sCastro(LFF2009)comesaplayfulstudyofvoyeurismandthepowerofstorytellinginflectedthroughafeministsensibility.LauraParedesgivesanassuredperformanceastheoutsiderwhoseimaginationgoesintooverdrivewhenfacedwiththerealityofthesleepysparesort.LauraCitarellamayhavedescribedOstendeasaverysmallfeature,butthemischievousnodstoHitchcockandRohmerandthefilm'smarkedfocusonwaysofseeingactuallyrenderthisavisuallyarrestingandhighlyindividualdebut.<br/> MariaDelgado




