Hawaii

A beautiful story of two shy young men, unsure of life and love.

• Director-Screenwriter Marco Berger
• Producers Pedro Irusta, Marco Berger
• With Manuel Vignau, Mateo Chiarino
• Argentina 2013
• 102 min
• UK distribution TLA

Following on from his acclaimed explorations of nascent male desire, Plan B and Absent, Marco Berger continues to impress with Hawaii, a taut and unusual love story set almost entirely in a single location. Eugenio is a young man residing at his uncle’s deserted house in rural Argentina. One day he encounters the homeless Martin, whom Eugenio realises he knew as a child. Charitably employing Martin to help around the house, Eugenio rediscovers his friendship with him, and as time progresses, new and unexpected feelings begin to emerge. What might initially appear as simply an exercise in prolonged sexual tension, soon blossoms into a rich and delicate tale of self discovery and the redemptive possibilities of love.

Michael Blyth