Berlinale Silver Bear Actress Ana Brun in ‘I Thought I Was Swimming’

Ana Brun – the primary Paraguayan actress to win a prestigious Berlinale Silver Bear, because of her debut efficiency in “The Heiresses” – is starring in Catalina Torres Puentes’ coming-of-age LGBTQ+ drama “I Thought I Was Swimming” (“Anoche creí que nadaba”).

The co-production, involving Uruguay, Paraguay and France, is collaborating within the Sanfic Industria’s Santiago Lab for fiction initiatives.

Said Brun: “Catalina told me she wrote the character of Elsa with me in mind, inspired by my performance in ‘The Heiresses,’ and I feel deeply honored by that.”

Written by Torres Puentes, the drama is about in opposition to the sweltering backdrop of a Punta del Este late summer season because it traces two intertwined love tales throughout generations. Tere, in her early 70s, (performed by Brun) spends her days sipping whiskey and tending to her sunburned pal Elsa, whereas her visiting granddaughter, 16-year-old Vera, embarks on a quick however fervent romance with Elena, a 21-year-old on line casino employee.

As Vera navigates the exhilaration and uncertainty of first queer want, Tere is confronted by long-buried emotions for Elsa. Through their parallel journeys, the movie tenderly explores want, growing old, id and the quiet bravery it takes to like – at any stage of life.

The mission is produced by Eugenia Olascuaga Fierro of Monarca Films, Uruguay with coproduction backing from Sabaté Films (Gabriela Sabaté, Paraguay) and House on Fire (Vincent Wang, France). It has obtained assist from the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Sanfic, San Sebastián, Cine Qua Non Lab, Ibermedia and Cuórum Morelia. It was invited to use to Sundance’s Catalyst Programme.

Said Torres: “I want to make a film that oscillates between tension and softness, between silence and words that weigh heavily, but above all, I believe in a film that puts aging and forgotten bodies on screen, where in this story they exist, live and desire.”

Monarca Films has made it its mandate to assist auteur-driven movies and underrepresented voices and “actively seek partners and funds that share those values.” “Most of our projects have a strong social, gender or LGBTQ+ focus, and we work closely with directors from early development through post-production and distribution, ensuring each film has the right creative and financial framework,” mentioned Olascuaga.