The film opens with a ten-minute scene from a drama, and then it becomes clear that this excerpt represents nearly everything there is to see from the last completed work featuring acclaimed Spanish actor Julio Arenas, who disappeared after finishing his final day of filming and was never found again. Years later, television journalist Soriano (Helena Miquel) brings the film’s director Garay (Manolo Solo) onto her missing persons program hoping to uncover what happened to him. The show unfolds in a manner reminiscent of "Crimewatch," with a potential clue emerging from a phone call received during the broadcast—could this be the man, after all these years? On the surface, the narrative feels somewhat conventional. What elevates it are the performances and the script; both Solo and Jose Coronoado as handyman Gardel provide compelling portrayals. The film unfolds deliberately, balancing the search for the actor with Garay’s own quest to find some measure of resolution so he can move beyond a life seemingly spent in quiet contemplation—reading, drinking, smoking, and fishing alongside his fellow squat residents. Those familiar with "Rio Bravo" (1959) may recognize the song he sings with neighbors Toni (Dani Téllez) and his wife, and those brief moments effectively illustrate the feelings of camaraderie, sentimentality, and isolation that director Victor Erice aims to evoke for most of the main characters. The ending offers no definitive answers, but it does stir a wistful longing for a time when even the smallest communities had their own cinema. It’s hard not to question whether anyone should ever attempt to recreate the story behind this film. This is definitely worth seeing.

Source on TMDB