You are here:

Absent

Name: Absent
Director: Marco Berger
Released: 2011
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

8.7/10

Excellent

2011

Director

Marco Berger

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Marco Berger’s work is a sophisticated study of queer intimacy that uses silence and subtle cues to challenge traditional social norms. The film excels by prioritizing the internal emotional reality of its characters over external societal expectations. While the film offers a profound exploration of non-traditional desires, it remains culturally specific to Argentina, limiting broader racial diversity and excluding significant disability narratives. Ultimately, the film succeeds as a Hitchcockian thriller that uses tension and unspoken intimacy to challenge conventional narrative expectations regarding gender and sexuality.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Absent have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film explores male-to-male attraction through a naturalistic lens, avoiding melodrama and focusing on the nuances of developing romantic and physical connections.

How does Absent portray gender?

Good

It shifts the focus away from traditional straight-centered relationships by emphasizing vulnerability in male friendships, rather than stoic interactions.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Absent?

Fair

Set in Argentina, the film maintains a localized identity, focusing on regional social dynamics rather than broad racial diversity.

How does Absent represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques rigid social structures through a minimalist atmosphere, treating desire and social transgressions as lived experiences rather than moral failings.

Does Absent include disability representation?

Fair

Characters are shown within a standard range of physical abilities, with no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities central to the plot.

Present on Screen

Offers a profound, naturalistic exploration of queer desire and male-to-male attraction.
Deconstructs traditional male friendship clichés by introducing vulnerability and sexual tension.
Prioritizes subjective emotional truth over rigid moral frameworks.

Limited or Absent

Lacks significant representation of racial and ethnic diversity beyond its localized setting.
Features no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
Maintains a limited female presence, focusing almost exclusively on male-centric intimacy.

Official Synopsis

Martín, a young student, gets injured during a swimming class. Sebastián, the PE teacher, takes him to the hospital. When they leave, he offers to drive him home, but Martín is planning to spend the night at a classmate's house, since there is no one at his own home.

How are these scores produced? →