Ano Una

Two thirds of the way through Ano una, a soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend tells Molly that the reason her photographs are no good is because she always tries to capture the perfect moment - which doesn't exist. Ano una itself is constructed from a series of photographs, some of which are slightly out of focus, or oddly framed or otherwise not "perfect". However, edited together they transform into a narrative. Even without the soundtrack, a viewer would be able to construct a story to accompany the images, though not necessarily the same one as the director (it would be minus the whining self-obsessed voice of Molly though, which would be a blessing) With the dialogue and interior thoughts, a simple story of cross-cultural (mis)understanding emerges. Horny Mexican teenager Diego is convinced that he can seduce the older American language student Molly. She meanwhile endlessly frets over her appalling boyfriends, familial tension, whether she's giving offence to her hosts or going to get food poisoning from the foreign food, and that she never manages to take any photos. The relationship never gets off the ground but that's not really the point. The fact that the pictures don't actually move is soon forgotten, and emphasises just how important sound is to the film-going experience.