CLFF 2025: Shipwrecks (Naufragios)
One of the many North American premieres at the 41st Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF) this week is “Naufragios” (that’s “Shipwrecks” in English), directed by Argentinian filmmaker Vanina Spataro, making her feature-length debut. Spataro co-wrote the character-driven tale with Daniel García Molt, and it’s reminiscent of one of French auteur Éric Rohmer’s seasonal dramas from the 1990s in the way it uses both location and a specific time of year. “Shipwrecks” will be screened tonight and on Wednesday, April 9th at 8:30 pm. Details, along with a brief review, can be found below.
As the film opens, it is autumn, and a young woman named Maite (Sofía Palomino) has just arrived in a remote coastal town after leaving Buenos Aires. Adriana (Romina Peluffo), a local cleaning woman who takes care of unoccupied homes during the off-season, provides her with directions to Maite’s family rental. It doesn’t take long for us to realize that the people who live in this beautiful location have chosen to deliberately be free from the bustling crowds and the fast-paced nature of metropolitan life. The loudest sound you hear here is the ocean’s tide crashing to the beach, and going to the local store is an event rather than a quick errand.
Maite serves as our gateway character, as we’re introduced to the few denizens of the beach community as she does. This is how we meet the year-round residents. There is middle-aged Esteban (Alfonso Tort), who spends his days painting his surroundings, ignoring basic hygiene, and sharing fireside drinks with young lifeguard Damien (Lautaro Bettoni), the latter developing an instant crush on Maite. And then there is Lola (Maiamar Abrodos), an older woman and self-described doctor, an uninhibited free-spirit who brings them all together.
Into their lives comes an unconscious stranger (Mateo Chiarino), who is mysteriously washed ashore. Dressed in an old sailor suit and suffering from a bout of amnesia, he is taken in by the group and cared for by Lola. How will his arrival change the dynamic of this group? Will he be grateful or a threat? This and other events cause Maite to reevaluate her decisions (which may or may not impact Damien) as he ponders what her next steps will be.
Throughout the film, Spataro and Molt offer no judgments, but simply observe who these people are. Cinematographer Victor Kino Gonzalez warmly frames the characters and their environment, presenting a contemplative tone, humor, and tenderness. It’s easy to get lost in the setting and absorbed by the characters who inhabit a place where time seemingly stops.
RATING: ***
Click here for more details, including tickets for “Shipwrecks (Naufragios)”
