Camino a La Paz
Argentina
Francisco Varone
Sebas is a thirty-something fan of the 70´s rock band Vox Dei. He is a smart guy who likes to be comfortable, with no transcendental search in life rather than having a good time. He has no family; his closest affection is an old Peugeot 505 he inherited from his father and that he cares with passion.
Sebas marries Jasmine and moves to a small house in a suburban area of Buenos Aires. Since the first day in the new house, they constantly receive wrong calls from people asking for a remisería (a remise is a transport similar to a taxi. It is a standard car with no badge and no meters. The service can be ordered only by calling an agency or "remisería"). The phone rings at all hours, day and night, strangers asking for Magallanes Agency. Sebas, unemployed, dedicates to the house; doing the cleaning, shopping and cooking. Jasmine starts to gets tired of being the breadwinner but Sebas doesn´t seem to smell that the relationship is becoming more tense every day.
One night. Jasmine comes late from work and finds that in the backyard, Sebas has organized a barbecue with friends. She is tired of the situation and has a strong discussion with Sebas in the bath. She is disappointed that he did not assume his responsibilities. Her greatest desire was to build a room for a future child, but Sebas, who is not excited about that idea, seems to strive not to work. That same night, more by chance than by choice, Sebas agrees to make a trip as a remise driver. Is not a bad job and he spends all night making trips. The next day, he tells Jasmine of his new occupation. She is very pleased.
Among the passengers, Jalil becomes habitual. He is an elder and ungracious muslim, that eats raw garlic and can not travel more than 5 minutes without stopping to pee. Every trip with the old man is a toothache for Sebas. One morning, Jalil invites Sebas to his home. The elderly has a proposal. He needs urgently to travel by car to La Paz in Bolivia and offers Sebas a large sum of money to drive him. He doesnt give much explanation, except that for health reasons he cant travel by bus or plane. Sebas, comfortable with his present, rejects the offer. He returns home and finds Jasmine crying uncontrollably. She has been fired. Elba, her mother, accuses Sebas of being guilty for the suffering of her daughter. He, full of pride, wants to show them how capable he is. Without consulting, he returns to Jalil´s home and accepts the proposal. The decision is made and beyond Jas´s doubts, Sebas begins the journey on the next day.
They leave the city with the Peugeot 505 loaded with bags, blankets and an old trunk on the roof. Jalil demands constant stops to urinate and make the Salat, a compulsory prayer that is repeated five times a day. During the journey, Sebas runs over a dog and Jalil rescues him. Sebas discovers that the old man has chronic renal disease and that the trunk has an old hemodialysis machine that he has to use every night. The next morning, Jalil tries to convince Sebas to give a ride to Nelson, an african black man, to a nearby village. Sebas no longer tolerates the old man´s extravagances. He orders to Jalil, Nelson an the dog to get down from the car. Finally, after a new economic arrangement, Jalil convinces Sebas to go on and they return to the road with Nelson and the dog, now named Mubarak.
Nelson invites them to share a barbecue with his family. They watch a football game on TV and sing typical songs of Zimbabwe. Sebas, without knowing, begins to feel affection for the old man. Back on the road, Jalil confesses that the final purpose of the trip is to go with his brother to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. Every muslim is obliged to make a pilgrimage once in their life.
That night they stop in Córdoba, in a house which acts as a venue for religious activities of other sufis. Jalil is welcomed with great joy and enthusiasm. Sebas feels like in another world, everything is exotic, smells, sounds, faces... He participates in the dhikr, a group rite that includes prayers, music and meditation. Jalil directs the entire celebration with much vigour. Sebas is in a round, holding hands with other men, spinning and breathing agitated, almost in a trance, and in the midst of this confusion Jalil collapses and falls to the floor. The health of the elderly is very sensitive but he is not willing to stop their march.
In a desolate road, Sebas is tempted to stop and buy cold meat. The sellers attack him and they rob them everything except for the old car. Jalil is exhausted and with fever. That night they sleep in a motel. Jalil, penniless declares: "For you, Sebas, the journey is over." In Salta the doctors decide to hospitalize Jalil but the old man escapes without saying anything about it to Sebas. He only asks Sebas for some money to take a bus to La Paz.
It´s time to separate. While waiting for the departure time the old man makes a last proposal to Sebas. He offers him to become a Jalil. With many doubts, Sebas accepts. He repeats the arabic phrases that Jalil recites. But at the last moment he feels that he is not being honest with himself and decides not to convert. Jalil understands; he just closes his eyes and rests. Sebas cares for Jalil and he cant´ leave him alone in this situation.
Jalil wakes up and discovers that Sebas is at the wheel, driving at full speed in direction to the border with Bolivia. He is resolute to finish the job for which he was engaged. They cross the border at night and once in Bolivia, the defective condition of the route makes the journey more difficult and tortuous. Sebas smiles at Jalil but he knows that time is short. Arriving to Potosi, Sebas implores Jalil to stop to see a doctor. The old man flatly refuses. He tells Sebas the address of his brother in La Paz, then closes his eyes and says "Do not grieve for me. I know who I am." Sebas, after hours without sleeping, makes its best effort to reach as soon as possible. He knows that the old man´s life is in his hands. A few kilometers before reaching La Paz, he finds that Jalil is dead. He is not sure of his feelings, something between grief and fatigue. In La Paz, he looks for Nazim, Jalil´s brother. They only have a brief chat but comforting. Sebas enjoys the meeting, something in his eyes changed. Accompanied by Mubarak, Sebas heads back in his Peugeot 505.
Sebas marries Jasmine and moves to a small house in a suburban area of Buenos Aires. Since the first day in the new house, they constantly receive wrong calls from people asking for a remisería (a remise is a transport similar to a taxi. It is a standard car with no badge and no meters. The service can be ordered only by calling an agency or "remisería"). The phone rings at all hours, day and night, strangers asking for Magallanes Agency. Sebas, unemployed, dedicates to the house; doing the cleaning, shopping and cooking. Jasmine starts to gets tired of being the breadwinner but Sebas doesn´t seem to smell that the relationship is becoming more tense every day.
One night. Jasmine comes late from work and finds that in the backyard, Sebas has organized a barbecue with friends. She is tired of the situation and has a strong discussion with Sebas in the bath. She is disappointed that he did not assume his responsibilities. Her greatest desire was to build a room for a future child, but Sebas, who is not excited about that idea, seems to strive not to work. That same night, more by chance than by choice, Sebas agrees to make a trip as a remise driver. Is not a bad job and he spends all night making trips. The next day, he tells Jasmine of his new occupation. She is very pleased.
Among the passengers, Jalil becomes habitual. He is an elder and ungracious muslim, that eats raw garlic and can not travel more than 5 minutes without stopping to pee. Every trip with the old man is a toothache for Sebas. One morning, Jalil invites Sebas to his home. The elderly has a proposal. He needs urgently to travel by car to La Paz in Bolivia and offers Sebas a large sum of money to drive him. He doesnt give much explanation, except that for health reasons he cant travel by bus or plane. Sebas, comfortable with his present, rejects the offer. He returns home and finds Jasmine crying uncontrollably. She has been fired. Elba, her mother, accuses Sebas of being guilty for the suffering of her daughter. He, full of pride, wants to show them how capable he is. Without consulting, he returns to Jalil´s home and accepts the proposal. The decision is made and beyond Jas´s doubts, Sebas begins the journey on the next day.
They leave the city with the Peugeot 505 loaded with bags, blankets and an old trunk on the roof. Jalil demands constant stops to urinate and make the Salat, a compulsory prayer that is repeated five times a day. During the journey, Sebas runs over a dog and Jalil rescues him. Sebas discovers that the old man has chronic renal disease and that the trunk has an old hemodialysis machine that he has to use every night. The next morning, Jalil tries to convince Sebas to give a ride to Nelson, an african black man, to a nearby village. Sebas no longer tolerates the old man´s extravagances. He orders to Jalil, Nelson an the dog to get down from the car. Finally, after a new economic arrangement, Jalil convinces Sebas to go on and they return to the road with Nelson and the dog, now named Mubarak.
Nelson invites them to share a barbecue with his family. They watch a football game on TV and sing typical songs of Zimbabwe. Sebas, without knowing, begins to feel affection for the old man. Back on the road, Jalil confesses that the final purpose of the trip is to go with his brother to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. Every muslim is obliged to make a pilgrimage once in their life.
That night they stop in Córdoba, in a house which acts as a venue for religious activities of other sufis. Jalil is welcomed with great joy and enthusiasm. Sebas feels like in another world, everything is exotic, smells, sounds, faces... He participates in the dhikr, a group rite that includes prayers, music and meditation. Jalil directs the entire celebration with much vigour. Sebas is in a round, holding hands with other men, spinning and breathing agitated, almost in a trance, and in the midst of this confusion Jalil collapses and falls to the floor. The health of the elderly is very sensitive but he is not willing to stop their march.
In a desolate road, Sebas is tempted to stop and buy cold meat. The sellers attack him and they rob them everything except for the old car. Jalil is exhausted and with fever. That night they sleep in a motel. Jalil, penniless declares: "For you, Sebas, the journey is over." In Salta the doctors decide to hospitalize Jalil but the old man escapes without saying anything about it to Sebas. He only asks Sebas for some money to take a bus to La Paz.
It´s time to separate. While waiting for the departure time the old man makes a last proposal to Sebas. He offers him to become a Jalil. With many doubts, Sebas accepts. He repeats the arabic phrases that Jalil recites. But at the last moment he feels that he is not being honest with himself and decides not to convert. Jalil understands; he just closes his eyes and rests. Sebas cares for Jalil and he cant´ leave him alone in this situation.
Jalil wakes up and discovers that Sebas is at the wheel, driving at full speed in direction to the border with Bolivia. He is resolute to finish the job for which he was engaged. They cross the border at night and once in Bolivia, the defective condition of the route makes the journey more difficult and tortuous. Sebas smiles at Jalil but he knows that time is short. Arriving to Potosi, Sebas implores Jalil to stop to see a doctor. The old man flatly refuses. He tells Sebas the address of his brother in La Paz, then closes his eyes and says "Do not grieve for me. I know who I am." Sebas, after hours without sleeping, makes its best effort to reach as soon as possible. He knows that the old man´s life is in his hands. A few kilometers before reaching La Paz, he finds that Jalil is dead. He is not sure of his feelings, something between grief and fatigue. In La Paz, he looks for Nazim, Jalil´s brother. They only have a brief chat but comforting. Sebas enjoys the meeting, something in his eyes changed. Accompanied by Mubarak, Sebas heads back in his Peugeot 505.
Support:
Festivals and Awards:
Thessaloniki 2015: Bronze Alexander
Geneva 2016: Young Jury Award for Best Film
Geneva 2016: Young Jury Award for Best Film
World Sales:
Figa Films