The Bed

An elegy for a decaying relationship written on two naked bodies and a home that is becoming deserted. In her feature debut, Argentinean director Mónica Lairana limits the dialogue to a minimum in order to tell the story of the years that a middle-aged couple spent together through images of their final shared moments. She examines a man and woman who, faced with parting, try to hang onto whatever they can from the years they spent together: the remains of dying lust, the tenderness and trust they still share, as well as memories that have been accumulated over the years in every object, including the eponymous bed, found in a home they know as well as they know each other. Lairana's exceptionally focused, sincere and sometimes painful film, which divided audiences at this year's Berlinale, is another strong feminine voice from Argentina. Using simple means, the director manages to capture something universal and fundamental: that strange state when you're no longer together but it's also clear that you'll never be completely apart.