"In the year 1978, during the military conflict between Argentina and Chile, an officer serving on the frontier receives an unexpected gift."
Staged in the frontier between Argentina and Chile at a time the two countries were on the brink of war, Zapura’s Gift presents a number of characters and introduces an element that has the potential of triggering a major conflict: a football ball autographed by a famous football player.
The film successfully manages to place special value on the object, and justifies how important it is to the characters in the film, making the unfolding situations believable.
Using iconography from war films, the short uses the ball as an alien element that disrupts expected behaviors, as well as a vehicle for communication, bonding, escapism, metaphor of war and as a way of building a bridge among cultures. Special emphasis is placed on dialogue and group shots. The humor, cultural background and elements of surprise are highlights of the short.
The Chilean director, Cristóbal Braun Mesples, has made a number of films both in Argentina and Chile.
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