By the Fire

Daniel and Alejandra, a working class couple in their late 30s, move to the countryside near the Andes Mountains to begin the next chapter of their life together. Alejandra is ill, and Daniel looks after her, his soul mate. He scratches out a living doing farm work, while dreaming of buying his own plot of land. Over the course of a year, director Alejandro Fernández Almendras captures a life of love and frustration as Alejandra’s condition worsens, and Daniel can do nothing but keep on struggling.

Directed by Alejandro Fernández Almendras, By the Fire leans on a strong ensemble — Daniel Muñoz, Alejandra Yañez, Daniel Candia — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2012.