Sergio is fitted with a succession of James Bond-style gizmos including a micro-camera concealed in a pen and thick camera spectacles. The film won accolades at the Sundance film festival, and brought loads of attention to the living conditions of New York’s homeless. Created by Craig Lewis. She landed at Detective Aitken’s office. Sergio is welcomed by the residents of a home that cares for 40 women and four men. The staff were told that her crew was making a documentary about daily life in a nursing home. 1 Synopsis 2 Full Story 3 Behind the Laughter 3.1 Reception 4 Citations The Simpsons are going to Park City, Utah as Lisa's documentary is being presented at the Sundance Film Festival, but the other Simpsons are particularly baffled that the movie does not exactly show their good sides. On the human connection side of the spectrum, Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent follows 83-year-old Sergio, who goes undercover to investigate a nursing home but bungles the spy-gear technology and can’t seem to stay on course with the mission. That one line from Berta nails it all. The film brought to life and committed to film both the horrid conditions the Mole People suffer as well as the sense of community they … 'MOLE MAN' (AMAZON, SUNDANCE) Focusing on autistic 66-year-old Ron Heist, "Mole Man" presents a manifestation of compulsive creativity on a grand scale seldom witnessed. The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue LLC May 2009 - Dec 2011 2 years 8 months. Sergio’s task is to go undercover at the San Francisco retirement home in the El Monte district, as the daughter of one resident fears that her mother is being mistreated. That led to a hilarious casting … erm … hiring process. With Josh Gardner, Dana Snyder, Peter Girardi, Hugh Davidson. In the chaos that ensues Dr. Elder gets Moloid juice on him and is transformed into Mole Man, while Shock Troopers inject a Moloid with Dark Matter. The Mole Agent is a film that begs a large number of questions. When it is, it's just one of many ingredients that make up the sauce. https://www.sundancenow.com/films/watch/mole-man/4887769. Sergio’s first task is to track down the room number of Sonia Perez. They waited at Aitken’s office until the right case came along: a client wanted her mother watched to make sure she was being treated well inside a long-term care facility. You can stream the channel on your computer, mobile device, or download the app on your favorite streaming device! In early scenes, she makes you question whether you’re even watching a documentary because of the heightened noir aesthetic – venetian blinds and high contrast lighting. Instead, Chamy befriended other residents and turned his attention to them. “I read the newspaper on Saturday and there were pages speaking of depression in old people,” said Alberdi. Aitken’s regular mole suffered a hip injury. He has the full support of his own family as he sets out on a mission to discover any wrongdoing. It soon feels as if romance could be on the cards. Subscribe now for monthly editions, awards season weeklies, access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations. ‘The Mole Agent’: Sundance Review By Allan Hunter 2020-01-25T19:54:00+00:00 Charming documentary in which an 83-year-old man goes undercover in a Chilean care home “I would consider giving God my virginity through my future husband,” says the simultaneously pious and randy Berta, who’s been in the home for 25 years. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, follows the octogenarian Sergio Chamy who is hired by a private eye, Rómulo Aitken, … She already had a crew on scene before Chamy’s arrival. Is there a hope in hell for Sony’s Easter supernatural thriller? The astonishing story of Ron, a 66-year-old autistic man who has spent the last five decades building a 50-room structure in his parents' backyard. Gradually, life chips away at the Pink Panther playfulness of the premise, and the film settles into a sombre look at ageing and desperately hanging on to human connection. A moving reflection on old age and loneliness that should strike a chord across the generations. The Chilean film-maker told the Guardian she was initially toying with genre and form. Using no nails or mortar, Ron instead creates structures from scavenged materials he finds in the woods outside his Western Pennsylvania home. Care for the elderly is a pressing concern across the globe and, with writer/director Maite Alberdi taking a fresh approach to a big subject, this spry documentary should readily attract audiences with its warmth, humanity and quiet compassion. These cases, Alberdi explained, are common, driven by the guilt of offspring who leave their parents in such institutions. But one young mole is bored with the job and wants to learn to dance. France hopes to begin opening up from May to early summer. ... Los Angeles, Jan. 16, 2020. Is 45 days the new length of the US theatrical window? There’s something both cinematic and suspicious about the non-fiction credentials of Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent. ``Moles can't dance.'' Alberdi pegged the home as a portrait of a patriarchal generation. If you suspect that you are having a mole issue contact us for what we believe is the overall safest, most effective and most humane mole removal program. In that way, The Mole Agent feels disquietingly similar to Alberdi’s 2016 documentary, The Grown-Ups. It may take an elaborate route to reach its destination, but The Mole Agent ultimately captures a charming, poignant portrait of life in a Chilean care home. What begins as a bit of a lark blossoms into a moving reflection on old age and loneliness that should strike a chord across the generations. We see various seniors in the interview chair responding to the help wanted ad. The film opens with a kind of casting call for tech-savvy octogenarians to infiltrate a retirement home. Private investigator Romulo has placed a newspaper advert seeking an elderly male between 80 and 90, who is “independent, discreet and competent with technology”. Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry. The soundtrack has a bossa nova feel. Mole Man is now live on Sundance Now! He keeps the home’s resident kleptomaniac in check, returning stolen necklaces to their owners with a gentle nod of disapproval towards the amusing culprit. Any Given Sundance "Any Given Sundance" is the eighteenth episode of Season 19. However, her family gets upset with her when they discover that the film is far from flattering. He’s a former federal police investigator turned middle-aged private eye who had already handled four cases in nursing homes. He helps them cope, and when needed, stand on their own two feet. A documentary in which an 83-year-old man goes undercover at an old folks home to investigate possible … Romulo has somehow already arranged for a documentary crew to be filming life in the retirement home, so why do they also need Sergio? The other moles admonish him. Sundance offers a free 7 day trial, please click the link to view!! What really matters are his well-observed interactions with the other residents. Mole Man svg-play The astonishing story of Ron, a 66-year-old autistic man who has spent the last five decades building a 50-room structure in his parents' backyard. The Mole Agent begins as a jokey, tongue-in-cheek nod to old-school detective stories and 1960s spy thrillers. Underground, the moles are doing their mole-work of digging tunnels. But they jump at the opportunity to break their moldy routines and be mentally stimulated with a new gig. People are neglected by their families, yearn for company and grow anguished as foggy memories become unreliable and their bodies start to fail them. She sees a silver lining in the current situation. MOLE MAN follows RON, a 66-year-old autistic man who has spent the last five decades building a 50-room structure in his parents' backyard. There is a running gag in the series of him getting killed by various accidents, yet returning unharmed later on. “Our heart was not in the case,” Alberdi said, explaining how her crew followed Chamy’s lead. By using this site you are agreeing to our privacy and cookie policy. Using no nails or mortar, Ron instead creates perfectly balanced structures from scavenged materials he finds in the woods outside his Western Pennsylvania home. Sort of. playPlayplayTrailer. The nursing home private eye, Alberdi said, is akin to the nanny cam. Mole Man is now available to view on Sundance Now! 25 film projects conceived or advanced during the pandemic, Switzerland’s Visions du Réel unveils 2021 competition titles, China box office: ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ stomps into China with $70m opening, International box office: ‘Godzilla Vs. 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The film follows RON, a 66-year-old autistic man who has spent the last fifty years building an 80-room structure in his parents’ backyard. Seniors, who she couldn’t trust to handle iPhone cameras, are now jumping on Zoom calls with their grandchildren. Production companies: Micromundo Producciones, Motto Pictures, Sutor Kolonko, Volya Films, Malvalanda, International sales: Dogwoof [email protected]. Charming documentary in which an 83-year-old man goes undercover in a Chilean care home, Dir/scr: Maite Alberdi. But Alberdi felt he had the right disposition to be the film’s anchor, while embedded for months as the new resident in the senior home. Retrospective to be curated by filmmakers including George Amponsah and David Olusoga. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, follows the octogenarian Sergio Chamy who is hired by a private eye, Rómulo Aitken, to snoop around a nursing home. 2020. A cluttered office lurks behind a venetian blind. Alberdi’s film is particularly attentive to how Catholicism, patriarchy and female sexuality can thrive at once in this environment. “I fell in love with Sergio,” she said, explaining that she convinced Aitken to hire the soft-spoken and gentle 83-year-old widower. A very special thanks to Cassidy Hartmann White Horse Pictures Tongal and Archer Gray. With Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith. That film is a compassionate portrait of young adults with Down’s syndrome who desperately want independence and resent being infantilized. If it weren't for their guidance and support, Ron's story wouldn't have reached a worldwide audience. “I always say my budgets are to pay the crew to wait until the things that we are waiting for happen,” Alberdi said. He is best known for his 10-second short film Man Getting Hit by Football in "A Star Is Burns". Available on iTunes, Sundance Now, Prime Video The astonishing story of Ron, a 66-year-old autistic man who has spent the last five decades building a 50-room structure in his parents' backyard. The Mole Man. The Mole Agent struck a deep chord in me, as my grandfather passed away recently. The pandemic forced long-term care facilities across the globe into intensive lockdowns. 22 likes. September’s slate of Sundance Institute–supported releases features a strong lineup of documentaries that run the gamut from the heartwarming to the harrowing. He had to hire a new one. There appears to be so many artifical obstacles placed in the way of Sergio’s investigation that you begin to suspect this is all an ingenious ruse to place him in a care home. But eventually they ignore the crew’s presence and carry on, often fawning over Chamy, who was one of only a handful of men in that home. The irony that entering a nursing home would be stimulating was not lost on Alberdi. Sergio is a Chilean spy. Alberdi explained that the gender breakdown in this particular nursing home is not common in Chile. 89mins. The Mole Agent was supposed to be a fun film. Coronavirus film and TV latest: follow Screen’s coverage, Top US players weighing up optimal June date for virtual pre-sales market, Sundance horror ‘Censor’ acquired for UK-Ireland cinema release (exclusive), ​‘The Return: Life After Isis’: SXSW Review, Awards whispers: anonymous Ampas and Bafta members reveal for whom they are voting. There is little to criticise about the running of the home, but Alberdi looks beyond a professional duty of care to capture the emotional and physical frailities of individuals nearing the end of their lives. This site uses cookies. Directed by Chuck Sheetz, Mike B. Anderson. The ageing population, who are the most vulnerable to the virus, are now no longer able to receive visitors. They’re kept isolated because they are deemed too dependent – or rather, too much work. Yet once Alberdi has worked through these lighthearted elements, the film becomes more focused and involving. Since 2019, she has been head of programming at FIDOCS, the Santiago International Documentary Film Festival, and is the producer of The Mole Agent , which premiered at the World Documentary Competition at Sundance Film Festival 2020, and is the Chilean representative film at Goya Awards 2021. Young mole doesn't believe them, so he scampers out of the dark tunnel and begins to ask all the animals he meets if they can teach him to dance. ``Moles don't dance,'' they say. It began with a search for her lead. But now, during the pandemic, Alberdi said she’s noticed that people are regularly checking in on their parents or grandparents in senior homes. Men are usually dumped in homes, while women are kept with the children or grandchildren they raised. He waits until he can find proof, just as she waits until the right scene appears before her camera. The initial round of candidates suggest he will be lucky to find someone who can match two out of the three requirements. As a documentary film-maker, Alberdi felt a connection to Aitken’s trade. But Covid-19 did that instead. She did not expect it to transform into an aching meditation on isolation and loneliness. The way he fumbles with tech in not so subtle ways lends the film much of its humour. The Mole Agent is available digitally in the US now with a UK date to be announced, Feels Good Man: the disturbing story behind the rise of Pepe the Frog. He starts to enjoy his little undercover adventure and is great company for those who miss conversation, companionship and someone who cares about them. An 83-year-old goes undercover in a Chilean nursing home in a warm-hearted and surprising look at age and intimacy, Last modified on Tue 1 Sep 2020 17.30 BST. And the documentary became about the long-term care home’s social dynamic. 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