Agua (film)

Agua" is a captivating film that follows the journeys of two swimmers, Goyo and Chino, who are both at crucial crossroads in their lives. Goyo, a former open water swimming champion, has been living in seclusion in the desert after being wrongly accused of doping in a major marathon swim. Determined to clear his name and regain his lost glory, he returns to Santa Fe, where the marathon will be held again after eight long years.

Meanwhile, Chino is a dedicated pool swimmer striving to make it to the national team. Faced with constant disappointment and setbacks, he struggles to find purpose beyond swimming. The paths of Goyo and Chino intertwine when Goyo asks Chino to be his guide during the marathon, serving on the boat that follows him during the race.

As the film unfolds, the audience is treated to a semi-documentary approach, seamlessly blending actual competition and training footage with dramatized scenes depicting the lives of Goyo and Chino. The film masterfully captures the beauty, grace, and physicality of swimming, showcasing the athletes' dedication and the allure of the water.

Both Goyo and Chino are deeply devoted to swimming, but their singular focus on the sport has left them ill-equipped to deal with other aspects of their lives. Their relationships, particularly with the women in their lives, are strained, and they face uncertainty and challenges beyond the swimming pool.

Through breathtaking underwater shots and an understated narrative style, the film delves into the internal struggles and emotional turmoil experienced by the protagonists. The rhythm and contrasts between the silence beneath the water's surface and the chaotic noise above ground reflect the tension and intensity of their journeys.

As the Santa Fe-Coronda Marathon approaches, Chino experiences a crushing defeat, while Goyo is urged by an old mentor to train for the race once more. Goyo decides to compete, and Chino eventually joins him as a backup boat crew member.

The film reaches its climax during the marathon, where the underwater shots intensify, capturing Goyo's sheer determination and mindless abandon to the grueling effort. The competition becomes a transformative experience for both swimmers, bringing them into a symbiotic relationship as they overcome obstacles together.

While the film celebrates the beauty and dedication of competitive swimming, it goes beyond the sport itself. It explores themes of redemption, self-discovery, and the passing of the baton from one generation to the next. Ultimately, "Agua" reminds us that success is not solely measured by winning, but by the personal growth and connections forged along the way.

• Rafael Ferro as Goyo
• Nicolás Mateo as Chino
• Jimena Anganuzzi as Luisa
• Leonora Balcarce as Ana
• Gloria Carrá as Maria
• Edith van Dijk as herself
• Diego Alonso Gómez as Jorge

The drama premiered on April 21, 2006 in Argentina at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, and opened wide in the country on September 21, 2006.

The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland; the Warsaw Film Festival, Poland; the Amiens International Film Festival, France; the Oslo International Film Festival, Norway; and others.

Robert Koehler, film critic for Variety magazine, gave the film a mixed review when reporting from the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival. He wrote, "Pretension swallows up Water, Veronica Chen's shallow follow-up to her fine 2001 debut, Smokers Only. Bookended by a hauntingly atmospheric opening sequence and a finale that makes the central characters' involvement with marathon swimming vivid and physical, the pic has a gaping hole in the middle. Hardly different in basic outline from innumerable recent sports films about outsiders and underdogs turning their lives around, the pic's only twist is an excessively and pointlessly elliptical storytelling gambit. Fest interest will be mild at best for a film with little commercial kick."[1]

Wins

• Amiens International Film Festival, France: SIGNIS Award, Best Film, Verónica Chen; 2006.
• Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Verónica Chen; Youth Jury Award: Environment is Quality of Life, Verónica Chen; 2006.
• Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Sound, Martín Grignaschi and Federico Billordo; 2007.
• Málaga Spanish Film Festival, Spain: Silver Biznaga, Best Film, Verónica Chen; 2007.
• Palm Springs International Film Festival: New Voices/New Visions Special Jury Prize, Best Film, Verónica Chen; 2007.

Nominations

• Locarno International Film Festival: Golden Leopard, Verónica Chen; 2006.
• Marrakech International Film Festival, Morocco: Golden Star, Verónica Chen; 2006.
• Oslo Films from the South Festival: Films from the South Award, Best Feature, Verónica Chen; 2006.
• Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Cinematography, Sabine Lancelin and Matías Mesa; 2007.

• Agua at IMDb
• Agua at the cinenacional.com (in Spanish)