Gonzalo, a philosophy student with a lilt to rebel, decides to apostatize and renounce the Catholic faith that was involuntarily thrust upon him as a child. But erasing his name from the Church’s baptismal records, both literally and socially, is much more of a challenge that he expected. Director Frederico Veiroj (A Useful Life) uses quirky charm, absurd humor and a touch of Buñuelian surrealism to navigate his protagonist on a dubious path of self-determination. First-time actor and co-writer Alvaro Ogalla gives a nuanced performance in this wonderfully low-key comedy.
Press
"Weighty matters, tackled with a wonderful lightness of touch." - Hollywood Reporter
Director's Statement
The story emerged when I heard about the attempt to apostatize by my friend Álvaro Ogalla, whom I had met while I lived in Madrid during a formative period of my life. To what I could detect, to apostatize was an intention to alter the past, something that would be impossible, so therefore a fantasy. For me, internally, it turned into a highly tempting challenge to create a fictional tale with touches of a fable. As the character of Tamayo grew, his actions represented a new way of interacting with the institutions. Apart from being a very current conflict, I felt that it could easily be transported to any other country and other aspects of life, that the story could be interpreted in many different ways.
Once we decided that the character would be played by Álvaro himself - who had no training as an actor - I knew that the result would be as peculiar as he is himself. His gestures, his look, his contained desire and violence, plus his boyish appearance, were potent ingredients I could work with to give life to Tamayo’s onscreen character. I tried to show the extreme range of expressions and emotions I knew he had.I believe the end result has the ideal grace, charm, and depth for a character that has to intrigue us throughout the entire film. Tamayo’s character turns his own life into a regressive obstacle course, a difficult task for an actor. I relied on other experiences of working with professional actors combined with non-pro actors, and the aim was to achieve a character that would generate continued interest for the viewer.I personally see Tamayo as an unforgettable character and Álvaro as a natural talent.