• 2 months ago
Esteban Pedraza’s short film examines the strain a young woman endures when she has to choose between her dreams and her family.
Transcript
00:00I was a baby in 1992.
00:23I don't remember the droughts, or the rationing of light, or the 8 hours of daily blackouts.
00:53I was 15 years old.
01:23My mother told me that the car bomb that shook my grandfather's house was one of the worst of the time.
01:53He was on the edge of the explosion, and he had a heart attack.
02:16But it wasn't all bad.
02:23At least, that's what she tells me.
02:27They look great.
02:47How much do we owe?
02:49Like $100,000.
02:52Why so cheap?
02:54A friend from college.
02:57You're friends with everyone, right?
03:01Come.
03:04Why don't we go to our place for lunch?
03:09Why so far away?
03:18What happened, honey?
03:28That's my love!
03:31That pendant should be more pronounced, don't you think?
03:34I'm scared!
03:54Honey, eat before it gets cold.
03:58They're good.
04:02Look.
04:08What's this?
04:09Look.
04:13Let's see.
04:14It says, congratulations on...
04:18Read it well.
04:19Remember, I don't understand a lot of words.
04:23Well, I sent a copy of my thesis to this firm, and they accepted it.
04:31They told me it was a one-year scholarship.
04:35These guys weren't your heroes?
04:38Congratulations!
04:40You deserve it!
04:42I had no idea you had one here in Bogotá.
04:45Where do you start?
04:46No, honey.
04:48The scholarship is in New York.
04:51What do you mean, New York?
04:53Yes.
04:55I studied in the U.S.
04:58They'd pay me $10,000.
04:59I know that's not much, but...
05:06I see.
05:07When did you apply?
05:10About a month ago.
05:13I didn't think they'd pick me.
05:18I see.
05:22Why are you like this?
05:24No, honey, I'm sorry.
05:27I think it's amazing.
05:28I congratulate you on your achievements and everything,
05:32but we have a life here, right?
05:34And with $10,000, I can't imagine a family in New York.
05:37Well, if I do well, they'll hire me as an editor and pay me $30,000.
05:41If you do well?
05:42Yes.
05:45What if I leave for a year?
05:48What if I do well and they hire me?
05:50You're trying to leave your daughter without her mom,
05:53so she can become a psychopath?
05:55A lot of people do that.
05:57I'm not like that.
05:58I'm not going to fragment my family.
05:59I don't want to clean up their shit either.
06:02It's undocumented.
06:03Forget it.
06:04It'll pass.
06:06Come on, honey.
06:09I have three days to give you an answer.
06:15I love you.
06:45What's wrong with you two?
06:48She didn't say anything either?
06:52Tell me what, honey.
06:54I'll tell you later.
07:07Do you think this plan is wonderful?
07:10I can't leave my dad alone with the store.
07:12What do you mean?
07:13He'll die if we're not there.
07:14Then we're the only ones who can close the store.
07:17Norita!
07:23Alejandro.
07:26I'm going to get more.
07:28They're going to turn on the lights.
07:30Alejandro,
07:32to be honest,
07:33I think you're scared that your wife will do better than you.
07:36You're tough, but you won't be able to deal with those gringos.
07:38I studied with those people.
07:40Most of them are cowards.
07:41Most of them are junkies.
07:43We need to be controlled by those drug traffickers
07:45who left my dad in the dump.
07:47That's how we're all going to end up here.
07:50You applied for a job abroad without telling me anything.
07:52What are you doing?
07:53I told you from the beginning that this was my dream.
07:56But I'm pregnant.
07:57We're getting married.
07:58What do we do?
07:59I came back to Colombia.
08:00I married the first idiot I saw.
08:02And now I'm tied up in a narco-free state.
08:04With a shitty ass.
08:05And an idiot who doesn't even know how to sell a fucking chair.
08:11Yeah.
08:17I'll leave.
08:18Espera.
08:40Espera.
08:41Espera.
09:11Hello?
09:13Yes, thank you very much.
09:16I want to know if you have a free seat for the flight to New York.
09:27For tonight.
09:34Okay.
09:36Okay.
09:38Okay.
09:43Can you give me a second, please?
10:08I'm sorry.
10:11I'm sorry.
10:19It's okay, it's okay.
10:25Don't look at me like that, honey.
10:27I'm sorry.
10:38I'm sorry.
11:01We both know what you'd do to your gringos.
11:07I'm sorry.
11:24I didn't want to tell you those things.
11:27No.
11:29It's been a long time since we told each other the truth.
11:34And I know I make too many excuses.
11:38And...
11:40You want much more than this, right?
11:46So...
11:50We'll get to...
11:54New York in a couple of years.
11:57Obviously, I'll organize everything.
12:01If you don't want to...
12:03It's okay.
12:05It's okay.
12:13I'll take care of Valeria.
12:15Don't worry.
12:23But I want to tell you something before you go.
12:30I...
12:34I feel complete.
13:04Come on.
13:06Your dad is single.
13:09Really?
13:25I'm going to put the girl to bed.
13:26Good night.
13:34Let's go to bed, honey.
13:56Let's go!
13:59Let's go!
14:03Let's go!
14:17It was just another car bomb.
14:27I love you.
14:45I wish I had memories of Bogota.
14:56I love you.
15:26I love you.

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