You are here:

A Week Alone

Name: A Week Alone
Director: Celina Murga
Released: 2009
Duration: 110 min

Representation Score

7.8/10

Good

2009

Not Rated

Director

Celina Murga

Runtime

110 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

A Week Alone is a character-driven film that emphasizes the internal lives of adolescents rather than overt identity politics. Its strength lies in its subversion of traditional domestic hierarchies, particularly through the lens of female independence and the introduction of socioeconomic tension. The film effectively presents a nuanced view of childhood autonomy. By focusing on Maria's management of the household, it moves away from traditional clichés of parental oversight and explores how children navigate their own social rules. However, the film lacks explicit representation in several areas. It does not include explicit LGBTQ+ narratives or central depictions of disability, maintaining a focus on a more localized, homogeneous social environment.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does A Week Alone have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film examines the social dynamics and self-discovery of teenagers in a family setting. However, it does not explicitly depict non-binary gender identities or narratives that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does A Week Alone portray gender?

Good

Maria is a central figure who demonstrates independence and manages the household while her parents are away. This portrayal challenges traditional gender roles and highlights the importance of female leadership.

How racially and ethnically diverse is A Week Alone?

Fair

The cast primarily consists of individuals from a similar cultural background, reflecting a specific Argentine context. The interactions between the privileged children and the housekeeper's relative, Fernando, highlight class differences.

How does A Week Alone represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative questions traditional authority structures by showing children renegotiating rules set by their parents. It emphasizes the subjective experiences of young people over the enforcement of established Western institutions.

Does A Week Alone include disability representation?

Fair

The film focuses on the psychological and social transitions of adolescence. There are no prominent or central depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Highlights female independence and leadership through the protagonist's management of the household.
Uses class-based differences to connect the privileged and less advantaged.
Explores adolescent social dynamics and challenges traditional authority structures.

Limited or Absent

Does not include explicit LGBTQ+ representation or narratives about non-binary identities.
Focuses minimally on disability, with no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent characters.
Maintains a largely homogeneous cast, limiting broader racial and ethnic diversity.

Official Synopsis

Maria is a girl in her early teens whose family lives in an upscale gated suburb. Maria's parents are going out of town for a week, and rather than leave her with relatives or hire a babysitter, Maria is put in charge of looking after her little sister Sofia, with housekeeper Esther serving as a nominal adult authority figure, though for the most part she lets Maria and the others do what they please. With only their parents bedroom off-limits, Maria and Sofia have the run of the house, and soon they and their friends Facundo, Quique, Rodrigo and Timmy are spending their days exploring the place. As the kids begin creating their own rules to run counter to the ones their absent parents set down, Esther brings a young relative, Fernando, to play with them, and the privileged kids begin to get a notion of the ways of the outside world.

How are these scores produced? →