The Prize

When asked at school what her parents do, seven-year-old Cecilia replies, “My dad sells curtains and my mom is a housekeeper.” This is all she is allowed to say. A desolate mood piece set during the Argentinean Dirty War, a dark period of totalitarianism and violence, THE PRIZE is an observant portrait of a childhood unhinged by the tragedies of the external world she lives in. Hidden away in a shack on an abandoned beach, Cecilia and her mother are seemingly on the run. Filmed entirely from Cecilia's perspective, we experience the spirited young girl's frustration and confusion about why she is being stifled and must lie. When an Argentinian soldier presents a patriotic essay contest at her school, Cecilia is eager to win, but all she knows about the military is that they are evil—that they killed her cousin, and maybe even her father. Will she win THE PRIZE, or will her innocent fidelity to her mother jeopardize both of their lives? (In Spanish with subtitles) – M.M.