Argentine director, Delfina Castagnino delivers an accomplished debut in What I Love the Most, a confident film with assured performances that explores friendship.

María comes down from Buenos Aires to visit her friend Pilar in Bariloche in the south of Argentina. Pilar is mourning her father who recently passed away and María’s long term relationship with her boyfriend is slowly falling apart. María finds distraction in local boy Diego, while Pilar takes care of the business surrounding her father’s sawmill. Their sadness is never spoken of, but their companionship in those small, everyday activities somehow gives the girls a bit of the comfort they both long for.

Set in the stunning scenery of the Argentine Patagonia, nature plays an important role in this film. Its quiet serenity provides a sort of soothing consolation for the grieving young women. Director Delfina Castagnino’s debute is a warm, low key tribute to friendship. With long takes and a minimum of dialogue, Castagnino manages to create a stripped down yet beautiful picture, a prosaic, melancholic story filled with both hope and a touch of quiet comedy.

Stockholm Film Festival

Ivan Eibuszyc will attend the screening