El Custodio - Der Leibwächter

El Custodio

As "el custodio", it’s Rubén’s duty to keep the Minister of Planning under constant surveillance. If the Minister gets out of the car, Rubén gets out of the car. If the Minister turns left, Rubén turns left. If the Minister goes to the country club with his family for the weekend, Rubén must follow along. If the Minister decides to rest and have a nap, Rubén must keep watch over the sleeping man.

Although Rubén must always be present, he must also go completely unnoticed. A shadow, Rubén witnesses everything from the sidelines, as if life was passing by some meters away from him. Yet, despite his insider’s view, he never understands clearly what’s going on, what’s being talked about, nor where the characters come from or go to.

Single Rubén is hardly even a protagonist in his own life. A lonely life, involving a mentally unstable sister and a ditzy niece, the sale of illegal arms and cheap prostitutes. Plus the monotonous routine of being a bodyguard and the occasional humiliation from the Minister or his family… Some jobs result in virtually replacing one life for another. Such pressure can ultimately explode. This is Rubén’s inevitable outcome.

Source: 56. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (catalogue)