A Story for the Modlins

A filmmaker's dream came true for director Sergio Oksman. Quite by chance he received a box full of photos, letters, papers and a VHS tape that once belonged to an American family called the Modlins. From this archive material, he distilled the remarkable story of ambitious artist Margaret, her husband (and fame-hungry actor) Elmer, and their son Nelson. The film begins with a long scene from Rosemary's Baby, the only film of any importance in which Elmer performed - as an extra. Oksman then uses the photographs to trace the history of the family, who, due to a lack of success, left America for Spain, where the couple completely withdrew from society and dedicated their lives to Margaret’s creative development. Oksman puts his sparse material (which includes a letter from the artist to her highly manipulated son) to effective use: the black-and-white photos, taken over a period of several years from the same spot in the Spanish apartment, tell of Margaret's neurotic artistic mood swings, her son's submissiveness and her husband's worship. The pièce de resistance is a VHS tape recorded by a visitor. She films the couple as they show her around their home, strewn with impressive works of art. These are the last images of a life of promise unfulfilled.