Liverpool (2008)

Liverpool is a 2008 Argentine drama film directed by Lisandro Alonso, co-written with Salvador Roselli, and starring Juan Fernández. It screened at many international film festivals, including Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and Maryland Film Festival. The film was released on DVD by Kino International on November 30, 2010. The cinematography was by Lucio Bonelli.

The film follows Farrel, a merchant seaman who applies for leave in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego to visit his mother in his home village after twenty years away. Farrel is played by a Juan Fernández, a native of Ushuaia who drives a snow plow for a living.

The LA Times called it a "bold, successful attempt at a film narrative in which images are everything and words are few." The New York Times concluded that "Although it has its visual pleasures, and there’s plenty to admire about his compositions, the journey in “Liverpool” seems comparatively slight". Variety felt that the "[b]rilliance of the overall conception and execution will immediately hit some viewers, while others may need to mull things over.

Synopsis

Au milieu de l'océan Atlantique, Farrel demande au capitaine du cargo sur lequel il travaille l'autorisation de descendre à terre : il veut se rendre là où il est né pour savoir si sa mère respire encore. Farrel a travaillé comme marin les vingt dernières années de sa vie. Il s'est soûlé à en rouler par terre et a toujours payé les femmes qu'il a eues. Il ne s'est fait aucun ami. Une fois parvenu au hameau enneigé où il a vécu ses premières années, il découvre que sa mère vit toujours mais également que la famille compte une personne de plus.