León y Olvido
Creators: name: Bermúdez, Xavier
Publisher: name: DARIAH-DE
Year: 2023
Subjects: Economic Vulnerability
Family
Indipendent Living
Incest Overtones
Disability
Sibling Relationship
Down Syndrome

description: Abstract: 
“León y Olvido” is a Spanish film that delves into the complex and tumultuous relationship between twins León and Olvido. After their parents’ death, Olvido struggles to care for her brother with Down syndrome and contemplates drastic actions. The story explores themes of familial responsibility, desperation, and blurred boundaries as Olvido attempts to navigate her challenging role as caretaker. Amidst moments of danger and tension, the film ultimately leaves us with a haunting sense of unresolved emotions within this deeply intertwined sibling bond.

Details: 
León y Olvido is a story of twins: León, who has Down syndrome, and his sister Olvido. After the death of their parents, Olvido tries to leave her brother at several care homes for people with disabilities, but León keeps getting expelled due to his behavioural issues. Olvido is forced to be her brother’s primary caretaker. Throughout the film, she also tries to kill him. In her first attempt, as they drive back home, Olvido stops the car at a cliff. Olvido requests his brother to pick a flower that grows near the cliff's edge and offers that they could share the bed at night in return. León almost falls off the cliff but is rescued by Olvido.
Olvido earns her living by working at a sewing factory. Her brother’s presence increases her living costs as he can neither work nor live autonomously without supervision. Olvido’s date with her boyfriend is interrupted by León, prompting her to abandon him in a deserted area near the highway. The Civil Guards save him, and Olvido picks him up at the police station.
León decides he wants to be more independent and decides to go to school. He also visits a classmate, Jonathan, who lives independently in a shared apartment. He advises León to study seriously at the school and earn his living by working at a fabric factory. León is uncertain about this, and Jonathan dies of his injuries from a traffic accident. Olvido loses her job at the factory, is broke, and unable to pay even the electricity bills. She decides to run away, but Leon runs after her, shouting and screaming, and brings her back. Olvido prepares a juice laced with drugs potent enough to kill León and tempts him to drink it by promising him an erotic game. The degree of their physical relationship is unclear, but sexual contact is alluded to several times. León drinks the spiked juice but is taken to the hospital and survives.
Olvido starts working at a bridal shop and has an affair with her supervisor, Damián. His wife, Laura, finds out about their affair and offers the job of a prostitute to Olvido. Olvido takes advantage of being unsupervised by Damián at the shop and steals his revolver. León gets to know a girl who works in a flower shop. He follows her around and exposes himself indecently to her in a public area. Olvido is summoned to the police station to pick him up. She organizes a picnic with her brother at the dangerous cliff where the flowers grow. The twins play an erotic game again. As soon as they are done, Olvido pulls out Damián’s gun and shoots León several times. He survives uninjured as the gun contains blanks. The movie closes with León and Olvido at their home, where León is still upset over the day’s events. He reminds Olvido that their mother often said: “You have to respect the family.” He sings a lullaby to his sister and imitates shooting with the revolver. Olvido lies depressend on the sofa.