Those last days of summer break, a window about to close — don’t go, Summer. Outside, charcoal strikes the first notes of the barbecue. Balthazar’s cousins are getting ready for the big night, while his older brother pretends he doesn’t exist. That leaves Tom, the one he texts with — the only one who doesn’t remind him that he is thirteen.
A summer barbecue and the apparent ease of family life. Through a single long take that builds a stifling pressure, we follow Balthazar’s journey during an afternoon where every second creates a knot in the throat and the stomach. Without any cuts to offer relief, the camera pursues the tension as night falls: everyone still treats him like a child, except for Tom. (María Angélica Contreras)
