Puan

First collaboration between Argentinian filmmakers Mariá Alché (“A Family Submerged”) and Benjamín Naishtat (“Rojo”). Puan is an authentic tragicomedy that knows how to move on both levels with equal conviction and an admirable awareness of its ends and the means it uses to achieve them.

Middle-aged Marcelo (Marcelo Subiotto) is expected by the university to take over the position of head of department of philosophy from Professor Caselli, but this hypothesis is defeated when the younger and charismatic professor Rafael (played by Leonardo Sbaraglia) shows interest in the same job. The duel that occurs between Marcelo and Rafael has major repercussions for the university, and gradually reflects that the Argentine society outside the university walls.

The film is a reflection of the world of public universities, together with all their stereotypes, the dynamics of their inner workings, problems, power relations, perpetual confrontations of egos and political and social background.

"PUAN" (the name of the famous university that gives the film its title, a key component of Argentina's student and revolutionary movements) is also a perfect representation of what life is, its ups and downs, its defeats and the dignity that one can find within them.

Supported by the wonderful performances of its two protagonists Marcelo Subiotto (The Barbarians) and Leonardo Sbaraglia and a sublime supporting cast, the film foresaw Argentina’s education crisis, where the government’s austerity plan for public education triggered one of the largest demonstrations in recent history. A politically committed film that works as a comedy, a drama and a movie with a political edge.