KATHRIN FRANK

STORYLINE:

Eli, a corrupt businessman, who often travels through the San Juan province is destined to be the waymaker of Helena, a woman suffering from a brain tumor, looking for her roots.

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SINOPSIS:

Eli is a 40 year-old man and alcoholic, troubled trough his life, who works for his father-in-law ́s company and travels throughout San Juan province for business: he is involved in some corruption businesses, buys land and makes construction deals with politicians. One day, on the road, he finds a woman asking for a ride, but she looks so odd he doesn't stop for her.

She is Helena, 36 year old, a writer that has had a brain tumor for several years. She escapes from her latest medical test to find her roots. She was born in San Juan province; her parents had an olive farm there. However, they were dispossessed 30 years ago.

When Helena arrives at the place of her parents' old farm she finds nothing. It's now a hotel construction site and the only thing left, are the three old olive trees, her father planted once. Helena want ́s to travel back, but gets trapped in a nearby village. Because of a fuel strike, she has no possibility to leave the place. She goes into a bar and calls her doctor to find out the results. The doctor tells her, that her tumor has grown.

As destiny wants it Eli and Helena ran to each other again. Eli has a work meeting in the same town. By chance he sees Helena at the bar and takes the initiative to meet her. Helena, still in shock, needs someone to share that moment with her and gets close to Eli. To forget about her condition, she accepts Eli offer to stay with him at his hotel. They spend the night together.

Both feel a strong attraction, because both are running from themselves. Especially Eli feels fascinated by her personality. To evade the darkness in their lives, they decide to travel together. Eli takes her on his business trips. Helena, more and more, learns about Elis work and his corruption business. She is not ok with Elis lifestyle, but he helps her, to get connected with her past. Little by little her symptoms get worse, she feels, that Eli is the key, she needs, to close the doors in her live.

Still, both don ́t know, that Elis family is involved in dispossession of Helena ́s parents olive farm.

When they get to a hotel, Helena casually finds an old tourism magazine with an article about her parents' farm. Eli recognizes the place immediately. When Helena tells Eli all about the dispossession, he doesn't have the courage to tell her the truth. Instead he hides his true feelings like always, drinking more and more. Helena suddenly has an epileptic attack, and can't cover up her situation anymore. She tells him about her brain tumor and her unwillingness to face treatment. Eli feels even guiltier now. He feels responsible for her, but he doesn't want to face reality at all. The trip turns into a prison for both of them. This is a turning point for Eli and Helena where life and death crossing each other.