Siesta

This is a wonderfully lyrical short set in a rambling urban park in Buenos Aires. It is afternoon, the animals in the zoo are taking a siesta and hence, the title, Siesta leads us to think of the dream-time that hour implies. A middle-aged man who has returned for his mother's funeral strolls aimlessly in the park when a homeless girl with a vivid imagination attaches herself to him. Her pre-adolescent fantasies revolve around 'first kisses' and sex appeal like the fashion plates splashed across the bill-boards that surround the park. This leads to an almost too close for comfort moment. All's well that ends well in this beautifully orchestrated black and white film. It is funny and in the same class as The Bicycle Thief and other great neo-realist movies.