Clandestine Childhood

Argentina, 1979. After years of exile, 12-year-old Juan (Teo Gutiérrez Moreno) and his family return to Argentina under false identities. Juan's parents and his eccentric uncle Beto (scene-stealing Ernesto Alterio) are members of an underground resistance movement fighting against the Military Junta that rules the country. Their political activities make the threat of capture a constant concern. However, as seen through Juan's eyes, daily life is also full of warmth, humor and discovery, as he makes new friends at school (where he is known as “Ernesto”), including his first serious girlfriend. Produced by Academy Award winner Luis Puenzo (The Official Story), writer-director Benjamín Ávila’s superb debut feature, based on events in his own family, recalls Sidney Lumet’s Running on Empty in its powerful portrait of childhood innocence at odds with life-or-death political ideals. A Film Movement release.