The family of 5, mom, dad and three sons are on a vacation in Germany from Barcelona. They bike all around the Danube river and sleep in camps and tents. The eldest is Didac, sixteen and two younger boys; all of them likely bored and tired of these unplanned cycling vacations. With talks with his parents, we are told that Didac likes a boy Gerard and that both of his parents are pretty good with that and also give him advice on love. Conversely, Didac labels his own ailment as “the frustration of not being desired.” His burgeoning sexual awakening seems to confuse one of his teen brothers, who follows him around like a shadow. At one of the campsites, he even witnesses a gay cruising area. Didac keeps imagining a boy all around (or maybe he is real). When he finally meets the boy, they run away together and go hiding in the new boy's boat, away from family and world and just in pure bliss of love, only the next day Didac to find himself all alone in the middle of Danube river crying for his parents.
Was the boy real or not? I think likely not. Didac's sexual awakening and his desire for Gerard is powerful that he imagines seeing a boy all around following him and desiring him. Starting with swimming in water, to the school of design or finally in the maze of houses that his family is visiting. You feel like there I nothing much happening in the film, which, honestly there isn't. Each character is going extremely small changes, with Didac going through the most. The whole ending 10 minute sequence likely is Didac's fantasy of young love and escape. The film does not pretend to redefine the cinema of teenage discovery, but it does observe it with a contemporary sensitivity and an unusual elegance. We are forced to think of moments when desire did not have a name. The film is beautiful to watch honestly and all the actors do a great job. You feel like you are thing a real family on a holiday, but the film will test your patience. The actor playing Didac does a fantastic job and is someone to look forward to. The last 10 minutes are pleasure to watch to see the two teenagers totally in love in their own world but also a bit frustrating how it all ends in a mystery. It is a familiar space of teenager knowing his sexuality but coming to terms with desire, told with a new lens. Why the title? I am not sure, it doesn't really fit the movies theme. (6.5/10)
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