''The Other'' (El otro) is a 2007 Argentine, French, and German

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

, written and directed by Ariel Rotter, his second feature. The picture won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, and actor Julio Chávez was awarded the

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor () was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by the International Jury from the films i ...

at the 2007

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

Plot

The film tells of Juan Desouza, a lawyer in his late 40s, who's happily married and his wife is expecting a child. On a one-day business trip to the country-side, Desouza embarks on an unintended journey. When he reaches his destination Desouza discovers that the man traveling next to him is not sleeping but dead. Secretly, he assumes the dead man's identity and invents a profession for himself. He finds a place to stay in the village where the man used to live and contemplates not returning. Juan Desouza undertakes an adventure into nature, into the rediscovery of his tastes and his basic instincts. He tries to grasp the idea that the life dealt out for him, and which he chose to live, is not the only one possible. He eventually goes back home, stronger from the spiritual experience.

Cast

* Julio Chávez as Juan Desouza * María Onetto * María Ucedo *

Inés Molina Inés Molina is an Argentine film and television actress. Sometimes she is credited as Inés Molina Villafañe. She works in the cinema of Argentina Cinema of Argentina refers to the film industry based in Argentina. The Argentine cinema co ...

* Arturo Goetz * Osvaldo Bonet * Raminta Kavaliūnaitė

Production

The film was executive produced by Aqua Films' Verónica Cura, and produced by Enrique Piñeyro and Christian Baute. ''El otro'' was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (Argentina), the Vision Sudest Fund (Switzerland), the World Cinema Fund (Berlin International Film Festival), and the Hubert Bals Fund (Netherlands).

Distribution

The film was first presented at the

on February 13, 2007.

Reception

Critical response

The film was well received at the

winning a Jury ''Grand Prix'' Silver Bear. Film critic Annika Pham, who writes for ''

Cineuropa Cineuropa is an online information portal dedicated to the promotion of European cinema. It publishes daily news, reviews, interviews, and industry reports and maintains a database of information. It is available in four languages: English, Fre ...

'', liked the film, and wrote, "The film subtly explores the apprehension of death as well as the palpable yet invisible world that lurks underneath the surface. Few words are needed. We feel with Juan and easily relate to him. The scenes where he cares for his father, becoming his father’s father, are particularly moving."Pham, Annika
''

'', film review, February 13, 2007.

Awards

Wins *

: Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize;

, Julio Chávez; 2007

References

External links

*
''El otro''
at

cinenacional.com Cinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema. It is the most comprehensive site for information about the Argentine film industry, with a vast array of information on films, television programs, directors, actor ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Otro, El 2007 films 2007 drama films Argentine independent films 2000s Spanish-language films French independent films German independent films Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize winners 2007 independent films 2000s French films