International Competition

The Grown-Ups

Maite Alberdi
Screening time  
27.02. / Monday, 15:00 - 17:00 Theatre 3  
28.02. / Tuesday, 14:00 - 16:00 Theatre 5  
01.03. / Wednesday, 22:00 - 00:00 Theatre 5  
02.03. / Thursday, 20:00 - 22:00 Theatre 4  
Film that will draw you into the microcosm of four young adults with Down syndrome through her intimate observation.

Anita, Rita, Ricardo and Andrés have been attending a school for children with Down syndrome for 40 years. After all this time, they are starting to tire of this safe, familiar environment. Now over 45 years old, some of them feel that working in the school bakery is no longer a challenge. They also yearn for freedom on a more personal level. Anita and Andrés are in love but still live with their families. They dream of finding a quiet place to be alone together, and they want to get married and raise a family. Sadly, the society they live in is not equipped to cater to their desire for more independence. In spite of the training they receive on becoming responsible adults, all four of them remain dependent on others to make decisions for them, much to their frustration. Director Maite Alberdi draws us into the microcosm of these four young adults through her intimate observation, free from commentary. A moving – and at times confrontational – portrait made with great compassion and a sharp eye for composition.

Maite_alberd

Maite Alberdi

Maite Alberdi studied Film and Aesthetics at the Universidad Católica de Chile. She is a writer-director who has developed a highly particular style that achieves an intimate portrayal of the characters she works with through everyday stories in small-scale worlds. She has directed three feature documentaries:The Grown-Ups(2016), Tea Time (2015), and The Lifeguard (2011) and three documentary short films I’m Not from Here (2015), The Hairdressers (2008), and The Trapeze Artists (2005). In 2013 she was selected as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and in 2018 she became a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

General sponsor

Chile, Netherlands, France
2016, 82'

Directed by:
Maite Alberdi

Screenplay by:
Maite Alberdi

Cinematography:
Pablo Valdés

Edited by:
Menno Boerema, Juan Eduardo Murillo

Music:
Miguel Miranda

Producers:
Maite Alberdi, Denis Vaslin

Produced by:
Micromundo Producciones, Volya Films

Festivals & Awards:

IDFA 2016