Lion's Den (Leonera) October 29, 2008

In a gripping opening sequence, a pregnant young woman, Julia, wakes in her apartment beside the bloodied bodies of two men, Ramiro and Nahuel. Ramiro is still alive, Nahuel is dead, and Julia herself is pretty beaten. We deduce that both have been her lovers, and that a crime of passion has occurred. The night's events are unclear, and both Ramiro and Julia are remanded in custody. When Julia is eventually convicted, she faces the prospect of raising her son in jail, with the knowledge that when he is four he will be taken away from her.

Shooting on location in a Buenos Aires prison, and using many staff and inmates as extras, Director Pablo Trapero (Born and Bred, El Bonaerense) has fashioned a riveting drama about one woman's determination to recover her freedom and that of her son. Hung around a superbly intense, edgy performance from Martina Gusman, the film shows the claustrophobia and indignities of life inside with an almost documentary verisimilitude, but also captures the all-important moments of solidarity and love.

Official Website: http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/lions_den