Sunstrokes

A comedy about six girlfriends in Buenos Aires who share the impossible dream of a trip to Cuba. Buenos Aires, 1995: Sol, Vicky, Karina, Valeria, Lala and Flor are friends who met at their salsa dance classes. They share the dream of travelling to the Caribbean – spending 15 days in Cuba is their life goal. But the harsh reality in which they live in is grey, uncertain and difficult. They’re on the sidelines of the neoliberal system that defined that decade. Sol works at a Kodak Express lab and occasionally steals customers’ pictures so she can study them alone. Vicky is a hairdresser with a different boyfriend every month. Karina suspiciously combines psychology with alternative therapies. Valeria works for a taxi service and is going through a traumatic breakup. Flor is a PR girl who once dreamed of becoming a stewardess. Lala is the newest addition – she brings optimism and music to the group. The highly anticipated salsa contest is on the last Saturday of the year and sunbathing is part of their own personal “warm-up ceremony” – they want to look stunning! As the hours pass, they ramble on, covering subjects as diverse as rootlessness, capitalism, communism, forgotten dreams and relationships. Recalling their dream of going to Cuba, they cling onto the possibility of winning the prize – it might be their only chance of getting closer to achieving their goal. Fatigue, lack of food, dehydration, heat and alcohol turn their dream into an obsession.

Born in Buenos Aires in 1965, Gustavo Taretto has written and directed five short films since 1999: LAS INSOLADAS (Sunstrokes), CIEN PESOS (One Hundred Pesos), MEDIANERAS (Sidewalls), which won more than 40 international awards), HOY NO ESTOY (Not available today) & UNA VEZ MÁS (Once Again). MEDIANERAS (Sidewalls), his first feature film, premiered in Berlin in 2011. It won several awards and has been sold to more than 25 countries. SUNSTROKES, based on his short film LAS INSOLADAS, is his second feature film.

Filmography as writer-director:
2014 Sunstrokes
2011 Medianeras