Un Cuento de Navidad

Un Cuento de Navidad tells the story of Mateo, a sensitive teenager in a Buenos Aires slum whose first steps into crime are driven by his longing to build a better life with his girlfriend, Jessi. A working-class counterpoint to the classic American Christmas fable, the film offers musical numbers but no miracles or redemption – only bodies that endure, bonds that sustain, and the belief that love is the sole force capable of bending fate. If only a little.

Francisco Márquez is an acclaimed Argentine filmmaker whose work combines social urgency with a distinctive cinematic voice. His debut film, The Long Night of Francisco Sanctis, premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, followed by A Common Crime in Berlinale Panorama; Un Cuento de Navidad marks his fourth feature.