Documentary – Chile / UK Première

Showing @ Cameo 1, Sun 24 Jun @ 19.00 & Cineworld 3, Mon 25 Jun @ 18.00

Maite Alberdi / Chile / 2011 / 64 min

Dreadlocked and tattooed, it would be easy to mistake Mauricio Rodríguez for a typical beach bum. Instead, he’s a rule obsessed, petty, slightly prissy lifeguard in possession of a very bad beachside manner – and he never goes into the water.

Patrolling Chépica beach, a strip of dirty sand that could never be confused with the Copacabana, he spends his days handing out warnings on barbecues and blowing his whistle when visitors venture too far into the powerful Atlantic surf. The rest of his time is spent coddling his jealousy and resentment towards fellow lifeguard Jean-Pierre. The Lifeguard is categorised as a documentary, but there’s room for doubt. It certainly feels more like semi-improvised drama with a documentary edge. There’s an arc of sorts with Mauricio’s jealously surfacing as pettiness and a comeuppance of sorts for his behaviour. But if this is simply reportage then Maite Alberdi has been very lucky indeed. Does it make a difference to the quality or value of this film? No, not really. This is essentially a character study; whether that character exists in reality or is simply a construct makes it no less engrossing.