The Erection of Toribio Bardelli

La Erección de Toribio Bardelli

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere

A widower in his seventies dives headfirst into the world of paid sex in a self-destructive attempt to cope with the grief and anger over his late wife's passing. But beyond their unrepentant father's insatiable desires, his three children also have their own burdens to carry. The first child is a recovering alcoholic who has recently undergone a heart transplant surgery and is now searching for the mother of the young donor whose heart now beats within him (and perhaps a second chance); the second is a blind woman who has just lost her job and her guide dog, while the third is a non-binary individual in search of love. The surprise film of the year comes from Peru, as penetrating and unexpected as its title suggests. A delicate balance between dark humor and drama, or, if you prefer, the quintessence of tragicomedy, all against the backdrop of a dysfunctional family that you'll find hard to forget once you get to know it better.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Available at the Agora Market TIFF64.

Direction: Adrián Saba

Script: Adrián Saba

Cinematography: Christian Valera

Editing: Justin Beach, Maksim T. Kuzin

Sound: Pablo Rivas Leyva, Tiago Bello

Music: Hugo Huanqui

Actors: Gustavo Bueno, Gisela Ponce de León, Rodrigo Sánchez Patiño, Michele Abascal, Lucélia Santos

Production: 3 Moinhos Produções Artísticas, Animalita, Flamingo Films

Producers: Carolina Denegri

Costumes: Andrea Martorellet

Production Design: Renzo Bazán

Executive producer: Carolina Denegri, Adrián Saba, Ana Alice De Morais, Carol Ribeiro

Make Up: Daniela Echandía

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: Peru, Brazil

Production Year: 2023

Duration: 82'

Adrián Saba

Adrián studied film with a minor in anthropology at Hofstra University with a Fulbright scholarship. He graduated with his short film The River in 2010. His debut film El Limpiador premiered in 2012 at San Sebastian – New Directors section, where it got the Jury’s Special Mention. Soon after, it screened in over 50 film festivals and won the New Voices/New Visions award at the Palm Springs Film Festival and the FIPRESCI award at the Transylvania Film Festival. The film represented Peru for a Best Foreign Film nomination at the 2014 Academy Awards. He developed his second feature film El Soñador at the Cannes Cinefondation Residence and premiered at Berlinale Generation in 2016 and consequently screened in various film festivals winning Best Peruvian Film at the Lima Film Festival 2016. In theater, Adrian directed the play Master Harold and The Boys by Athol Fugard at La Plaza Theater in 2017.