Medianeras

Medianeras is the first film by Gustavo Taretto (Argentina). 
The story revolves around 2 people, Mariana played by Pilar Lopez de Ayala and Martin alias Rafael Ferro. Both of them are living in Buenos Aires Argentina. They both have difficulties to meet their special one.  Martin is a webdesigner, he works at home and spends most of his time stuck to his computer screen in his little and messy apartment.

Pilar Lopez de Ayala

Mariana is an architect but never had the opportunity to use her skills. Instead she manages a shop window for a living. Medianeras takes a picture of our modern society and tackles the theme of loneliness, a modern dicease well hidden in our society that never lives too far behind every one of us. Here Martin and Mariana are the victims of it. They are suffering deep inside and strive against it. Martin via a dating website which does not give anything. Mariana through a more natural way at the swimming pool but it still does not give anything. Modern technology which were supposed to give people a better life does the opposite here. The example of Martin is a good illustration he lives in the internet, tries to meet people via dating websites. 

Gustavo Taretto draws a parallel with the architecture of Buenos Aires we could easily expand to other big cities, showing buildings piled up on each other, rising higher and higher covering the streets with shadows and where people are entangled in tiny appartments. 
Although cities get more and more crowded everyday people don't meet, don't find one another, cross each other on the streets without staring. The only way to escape for Martin is Astroboy and Wally for Mariana.  Altough they're living next to each other on opposite building they never met yet until one day... 

Despite the painful aspect of life Medianeras is depainting, it remains somehow optimistic and endearing. One of the question the film raises would be : are we going to manage to develop a society without removing the human?
The portrait of society Gustavo Toretto draws is very accurate. People have less and less time for themselves and for others which ultimately will lead to an artificial and individualistic world. Many people find it more convenient to talk via internet than seeing each other.
I really recommend it. Here is the official trailer. 

Medianeras

BobbyManhattan
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