How Long Is “Father”?

An old house provides the framework for a study of one man's family and their history in this impressionistic work from Spanish filmmaker José María de Orbe. Orbe was born and raised on a rambling estate in the Basque Country that was built in the 13th Century. The filmmaker inherited the home from his family, and the family's caretaker, Luis Pescador, still looks after the house, tending the gardens and keeping the inside clean and orderly. In Aita (aka Father), Orbe and his camera crew take viewers on a methodical tour of the house, following Pescador through his daily rounds and observing the details of the furnishings and the way light and shade play off its accents. One of Pescador's few regular visitors is a priest from a nearby church, and their conversations offer a perspective on the history of the community as well as the house that Pescador maintains to this day. As the images of the old house dominate the screen, they provide an unspoken commentary on the people who have lived there and the legacy they have left behind. Father was an official selection at the 2010 BFI London Film Festival.