Hilarious black comedy about a retiree declared dead who must fight bureaucracy to reclaim his life.

Silvio Bertolini has just retired after 40 years as an Accounting Manager. His reward? A
pregnant daughter in Barcelona, a wife eager for a family trip, and a government that insists he is dead.

Set in Montevideo, this gloriously absurd black comedy follows Silvio as he discovers that, according to official records, he has been dead for some time. Proving otherwise plunges him into a Kafkaesque nightmare, where every stamp and official seems determined to keep him six feet under. But as Silvio fights to prove he exists, he begins to wonder if the system has a point. After decades of routine and corporate life, he realises he has been sleepwalking through his own existence. With the help of Molina, Silvio discovers that another Silvio Bertolini really did die and their identities have somehow been mixed up. Meeting the dead man’s family forces him to confront the life he might have lived.

Hilarious, bittersweet, and deliciously dark, this Uruguayan black comedy turns a bureaucratic nightmare into an unexpected resurrection. Directors Alejandro Damiani and Martín Avdolov bring a mischievous, razor-sharp sensibility worthy of the Coen Brothers, with a distinctly Latin American flavour. Two exciting talents to watch. Sometimes you have to be officially declared dead before you can finally start living.

Nikolaj Nikitin