Rio Escondido on AllMovie

Former Maria Luisa Bemberg assistant Mercedes Garcia Guevara debuts with this restrained exploration of repressed passions and marital infidelity. Interior designer Ana (Paola Krum) raises her son while her corporate executive husband Luis is often away on business. One day, Ana discovers a letter and a child's drawing that seem to indicate that her husband has a secret family. Wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery, she travels to the remote province of Rio Escondido in western Argentina. There she discovers that the truth is different from what she originally supposed. Luis is supporting his brother Martin's family as his sibling bides his time in jail. Ana soon finds herself attracted to Martin when he visits for a daylong furlough. Though he tells her about his life, his son, and his childhood with Luis, she does not reveal her identity as his brother's wife. The next weekend she again visits her brother-in-law. As the intensity of their attraction builds, Ana finds the strength to change her life. This film features some stunning images of Rio Escondido's vast landscape and some wonderfully understated performances. Rio Escondido was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival.