IDFA 2016
The Grown-Ups
Los niños
Maite Alberdi
Chile, Netherlands, France
2016
80 min
World Premiere
IDFA Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Documentary
Anita, Rita, Ricardo and Andrés have been attending a school for children with Down syndrome for 40 years. After all this time, they are starting to tire of this safe, familiar environment. Now over 45 years old, some of them feel that working in the school bakery is no longer a challenge. They also yearn for freedom on a more personal level. Anita and Andrés are in love but still live with their families. They dream of finding a quiet place to be alone together, and they want to get married and raise a family. Sadly, the society they live in is not equipped to cater to their desire for more independence. In spite of the training they receive on becoming “responsible adults,” all four of them remain dependent on others to make decisions for them, much to their frustration. Director Maite Alberdi draws us into the microcosm of these four “young adults” through her intimate observation, free from commentary. A moving – and at times confrontational – portrait made with great compassion and a sharp eye for composition.
Credits
World Sales
CAT&Docs
CAT&Docs
Screening copy
CAT&Docs
CAT&Docs
Director
Co-production
Mandra Films
Mandra Films
Screenplay
Cinematography
Sound Design
Involved TV Channel
TVN Chile,
EOdocs
TVN Chile,
EOdocs