DOI: 10.20375/0000-0011-48af-8
title: Olvido y León

description: Abstract: 
Fifteen years after the original movie León y Olvido, Xavier Bermúdez brings a new film about this problematic twin relationship. Olvido accepts that her problems have nothing to do with the relationship she maintains with her twin brother León, who has Down Syndrome.

Details: 
Olvido y León advances the story of León and his sister. The film opens with Olvido’s wedding. While at first glance it may look like León is the groom, Olvido is marrying a man named Leonardo, “Leo.” León is allowed to join them on their honeymoon. In the morning, Olvido is naked in her bed and crying. The movie rewinds and establishes them a year back.
Olvido is fighting for her life in the intensive care unit at the hospital. It is established that she frequently tries taking her own life. Her self-harm is suggested to be, among others, the result of the precarious economic situation of the twins. The financial support León receives from an institution for disabled people is too meager to sustain them. Olvido’s attempts to work as an actress fail because of fierce competition, low wages, and the expectation to sell one’s body to succeed in the film industry. León and Olvido decide to create time-bound goals for themselves. They list out specific tasks that they should complete within two weeks. Leon aims to find a job and a girlfriend, and Olvido seeks to find a new place to work. Olvido does not get a movie role due to her unwillingness to strip for the producers. León gets turned down by both the girls he was wooing as they learn that he was dating both of them simultaneously.
After an unsuccessful day, already depressed, León and Olvido meet their landlord, Leonardo, who mentions that he wants to renovate the flats in the building complex to get higher rent post-renovation. He offers Olvido and León a year’s rent as the payout if they move out in the next few months. Olvido resists, and Leonardo, infatuated by her looks, proposes his intention to marry her. He is willing to wait as long as it takes for her to make up her mind but is unwilling to accept a negative answer. Olvido is uncertain, but León thinks the offer is reasonable.
León and Olvido are watching television, and Olvido is depressed. León attempts to comfort her, but she withdraws and lies listlessly in bed. The following day, León finds her in the bathtub with cut wrists. León takes excellent care of Olvido at the hospital. Leonardo helps them with roses for Olvido and a tablet for León. The hospital’s social worker advises Olvido not to bury the drastic action she took but rather openly discuss it with people around her. León takes this advice at face value and discusses current suicide statistics and reasons for suicide with her. The film returns to the honeymoon.
On their walk, Leonardo and Olvido witness the rescue of a young woman who jumped off a bridge and drowned. Olvido is visibly affected by this scene and walks with León to a nearby park without her husband. Several artists and acrobats, including tightrope walkers and roller skaters with wings, are performing at the park. Olvido is captivated by their performance. Suddenly, it starts to rain, and everyone takes refuge in a tent. A guy starts to play the guitar. Olvido and León look at each other. Olvido smiles.