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EL PRIMERO DE LA FAMILIA

THE FIRST BORN

By Carlos LEIVA

First film - Completed 2016

While Thomas spends his last weekend in Chile with his family, before traveling abroad for the first time, a flaw in the sewage system produces a flood of smelly water. The problem shows the essence of family relationships.

- Year of production
- 2016
- Genres
- First film, Drama
- Countries
- CHILE
- Languages
- SPANISH
- Budget
- N/A
- Duration
- 90 mn
- Director(s)
- Carlos LEIVA
- Writer(s)
- Carlos LEIVA
- Cast
- Camilo CARMONA, Catalina DINAMARCA, Paula ZÚÑIGA, Claudio RIVEROS, Sylvia HERNÁNDEZ
- Producer(s)
- Rebeca GUTIÉRREZ CAMPOS (Pinda Producciones), Felipe AZÚA (Avispa Cine), Dominga SOTOMAYOR (CINESTACION)
- Synopsis
- Tomás (20) an introverted and hard-studying young man, walks with a suitcase towards his house. Catalina (15) buys a pregnancy test with a friend. Sara (51) is in a public hospital’s waiting room complaining of pain on her back. Ramiro (49) is in a syndical meeting, where he refuses to go on a strike for fear of being fired. Grandma Ita (82) buys vegetables, a can of peaches and walks home. The family gathers waiting for Tomás, to celebrate the abroad scholarship won by him, having a special tea. Tomás arrives to the house and walks into the kitchen; he sees the table properly arranged and his whole family around.
  The family lives in a deteriorated, precarious house. It's overcrowded and located in a marginal neighborhood of Santiago. The house has two bedrooms. In one of these, Tomás, Catalina and grandma sleep. In the other room, the married couple does. After the celebration, the family members return to their routines. Tomás starts packing his stuff ready for his trip. Catalina dresses for a party with friends. Ramiro must go back to work due to an electrical emergency in a nearby neighborhood. Sara meets a friend of hers, they wait until dawn and sneak into a gambling parlor full of slot machines. Grandma Ita finishes cleaning the kitchen, goes to sleep and prays just before doing so.
  The next day, the yard is getting flooded with smelly water, coming from the sewer. The young ones don’t care much about the problem: Tomás adopts a passive attitude, mostly worried about setting everything straight for his trip; Catalina just worries about getting money to go out. For Sara, the flood is a chance to complaint about her husband's mediocrity and his incapability to do anything well. The couple has strong arguments: Ramiro says he has no money because she spends without control. After the discussion, Sara takes shelter inside her room, alone with her sore back, listening to music all day long. Ramiro spends most of the day trying to solve the sewer problem without success. Grandma lives between the housework and her friend Bertita's company.
  As the hours pass by, the flood in the yard grows and slowly slips into the kitchen and the rest of the rooms. The atmosphere in the house gets more and more hostile. Sara leaves the house, angry with her husband. The old women go out for help. Ramiro walks out as well, trying to find another solution for the problem. Catalina lays on her bed, sad. The silence in the house and the unbearable atmosphere increase Tomás' sexual desire towards his sister in this last day with his family.
- Partners & financing
- Avispa Cine
  Pinda Producciones
  Cinestación