Gatos viejos

Isadora lives an uneventful life with her spouse Enrique and their two contented chubby cats. Despite being well into her eighties and showing signs of increasing senility, she enjoys an independent existence surrounded by her books and antiques. But Isadora’s secure, stereotypical life starts to crumble: the lift breaks down one day and her daughter Rosario visits her eighth floor flat with her lesbian partner Hugo – and yet another scheme to make them all rich. Old wounds fester, accusations are hurled, but the tension between mother and daughter culminates in a surprise adventure. The lead players in this intimate film have been working with both directors since their debut days. Catalina Saveedra, who plays Hugo, appeared in the starring role in their previous film The Maid, a triumph which The New York Times included in their top five film performances for 2009. On this occasion the directors came up with a tailor-made part for Chilean screen legend, 90-year-old Bélgica Castro (Isadora), who has been married for forty years to actor and playwright Alejandro Sieveking (Enrique), featured in films by Costa-Gavras. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)