1988. Melo (Uruguay), a small city on the border with Brazil, is getting ready for the visit of Pope John Paul II. Certain well-informed sources talk of 50,000 visitors. The locals, mostly poor, know what that means: 50,000 pilgrims will want to eat, drink and purchase souvenirs... Driven by enthusiasm rather than divine blessing, they hope to achieve at least a little material happiness. Beto, a small-time smuggler, reckons he’s found the best idea of all: “The Pope’s Toilet”, where thousands of pilgrims can spend a penny. This involves taking more of a risk and making more trips over the border. He puts his big dream of buying a motorcycle on hold. He even loses his most cherished possession, his bicycle, to achieve the key element of his temple of waste and wealth: the toilet bowl. But he’s determined to make it in time for the divine event.
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Enrique Fernández, César Charlone
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| The Uruguayan César Charlone was the cinematographer on Fernando Meirelles’ City of God (2001), for which he landed an Academy Award nomination, and in 2003 once again worked with the same director on The Constant Gardener, landing a BAFTA nomination for his work. His fellow Uruguayan, Enrique Fernández, has participated in documentaries and shorts as a screenwriter, assistant director or first camera. In 1997, Diego Arzuaga took one of his screenplays to the big screen, Otario, which competed in the Official Selection at San Sebastian. El baño del Papa was selected for Films in Progress 8 and won a prize at Films in Progress 9. |
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