Suddenly

Suddenly is Diego Lerman's debut feature film, and become something a breakthrough for him. It screened at numerous festivals abroad, was nominated for several categories of the national Argentinian film awards – and was released theatrically in other countries too, such as Norway.

Our protagonist Marcia is a young girl whose tedious life is turned upside down when she encounters Mao and Lenin – who are not reincarnate Communist leaders, but two girls with bad manners, lesbian leanings and few inhibitions. Mao tries to seduce Maria, who rejects her and is rewarded by being threatened by a knife. The three of them drife off in a stolen car, first to the ocean, and then to the city of Rosario, where Lenin's elderly aunt lives. Here the three of them settle down for a couple of days, full of unresolved feelings for each other and themselves. Shot in black and white, the film starts off as a road movie and soon turns into a striking, subtle and intimate portrait of some unusual characters, with strong performances in all the leading roles. FFS 2002

Diego Lerman (b. 1976) from Buenos Aires is one of the leading figures in contemporary Argentinian cinema. He also works as a film and TV producer. Lerman has written (with regular co-writer Maria Meira) and directed five award-winning feature films.