Pau and His Brother

A death in the family brings a man back to his family and his hometown in this drama. After his brother Alex goes missing under hazy circumstances, Pau gets the bad news that Alex has died after a successful suicide attempt. Pau travels to the village in Spain's Pyrenees mountains where he was born to break the sad news to his mother Merce; hoping to spare her feelings at a difficult time, he tells her that Alex was killed in an auto accident. As Merce mourns the death of her son, she and Pau set out to find Alex's friends and acquaintances and tell them of his sad fate. In their travels, they encounter Sara, Alex's girlfriend, who planned to move away to the city with him; Emil, an engineer who will be putting a highway through the town; Marta, Emil's daughter; and Toni, one of Emil's co-workers. Circumstances bring Pau and Marta together again when Emil disappears, and Marta finds herself searching for her father.

Directed by Marc Recha, Pau and His Brother leans on a strong ensemble — David Selvas, Nathalie Boutefeu, Marieta Orozco — 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 2001.