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The Lost Steps

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The Lost Steps
Theatrical release poster
Directed byManane RodrĂ­guez
Screenplay byManane RodrĂ­guez
Xavier BermĂșdez
Produced byRafael DĂ­az-Salgado
StarringIrene Visedo
Luis Brandoni
Federico Luppi
CinematographyJuan Carlos GĂłmez
Edited byEsperanza Cobos
Music byFernando Egozcue
Production
company
Anola Films S.L.
Distributed byUnited International Pictures
Release date
  • August 9, 2001 (2001-08-09) (Argentina)
Running time
93 minutes
CountriesArgentina
Spain
LanguageSpanish

The Lost Steps (Spanish: Los pasos perdidos) is a 2001 Argentine and Spanish drama film directed by Manane RodrĂ­guez and written by RodrĂ­guez and Xavier BermĂșdez. The film features Irene Visedo, Luis Brandoni, Federico Luppi, among others.

Plot

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The film tells the story of Mónica Erigaray (Irene Visedo), who is twenty years old and lives with her parents Ernesto Erigaray (Luis Brandoni) and Inés (Concha Velasco). Seventeen years ago the Erigarays left Argentina and moved to Spain to live a peaceful and quiet life.

However, things change rather abruptly when a famous Argentinian writer named Bruno Leardi (Federico Luppi) claims that MĂłnica is in reality his granddaughter named Diana, daughter of his son Diego Liardi who disappeared during the Dirty War in Argentina.

At one point in the film Ernesto Erigaray and his cohorts accost Bruno and make it clear that harm will come to him if he persists with his accusations and attempts to see MĂłnica.

Erigaray decides to confront Bruno in his hotel room, but nothing is settled. The family ends up in a Court approved hearing and Ernesto Erigaray is accused of being the Argentine torturer known by his men as "El Sapo" ("The Toad") who did his nasty work in a place known as "the Cesspit." Subsequently, DNA tests prove that MĂłnica is indeed the daughter of Diego Liardi and Sara Pereira (a Spanish citizen). MĂłnica leaves the Erigaray's and they are arrested and tried for the murder of a Spanish citizen and MĂłnica's illegal abduction.

One year later MĂłnica travels to Buenos Aires and marches with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. She drops by her grandfather's home and tells him Diana has come to call on him.

The film ends with the dedication:

To the mothers and grandmothers of Plaza del Mayo, and to those who resist the abduction of our memories.

Cast

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  • Irene Visedo as MĂłnica Erigaray (Diana Leardi Pereira)
  • Luis Brandoni as Ernesto Erigaray
  • Concha Velasco as InĂ©s Laroche
  • Federico Luppi as Bruno Leardi
  • Juan Querol as Pablo
  • JesĂșs Blanco as Luis
  • Gabriel Moreno as GĂłmez
  • Pedro Miguel MartĂ­nez as MĂ©lendez
  • Cristina Collado as MĂ­riam
  • Amparo Valle as Matilde
  • Paulina GĂĄlvez as Abogada Leardi
  • Yael BarnatĂĄn as Silvia

Reception

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Critical response

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Jonathan Holland, film critic for Variety magazine, gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "Built around the children of Argentina's "desaparecidos"—political victims who disappeared during the 1970s military dictatorship—The Lost Steps delivers a challenging political message in an easy-to-swallow manner. Uruguayan director Manane Rodriguez's sophomore feature—following Portrait of Woman With Man in Background (1997)—has powerful moments, but by focusing too strongly on the human interest rather than the politics, it ends up looking like a skeleton-in-the-closet family drama. Appearances in politically themed fests could be an option."[1]

Awards

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Wins

Nominations

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Holland, Jonathan (30 November 2001). "The Lost Steps Review". Variety. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
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