Timecode

The title makes Juanjo Giménez's film sound like a spy thriller but the action is of an altogether more graceful and mysterious kind. Luna (Lali Ayguadé, who also choreographs the film) is one of two car park security guards. She sits in the booth through the daytime, exchanging brief pleasantries with her night-shift colleague Diego (Nicolas Ricchini) as they swap shifts. Giménez - who won the Palme d'Or for this short and is now vying for an Oscar - has an economical approach to storytelling, showing routine through the donning of a uniform, the boredom of work through the slide back and forth of a chair.

An unexpected accident breaks the monotony and Luna discovers Diego has a secret passion which he vents in the dead of night, capturing his movements on the CCTV cameras dotted around the garage. The form of escape is irresistibly attractive to Luna and soon an unusual dialogue is born. To say much more would be to spoil the surprises that this crafty short holds.

Dancer Ayguadé incorporates moves from Incognito, a show she worked on with Ricchini, but Giménez uses this beautiful choreography to say something more about human connection and spirit. He also puts the architecture of the parking lot to good use, playing with its automated elements, such as walkways, and fully exploiting its depth of field. The music from Iván Cester feels somewhat intrusive when it arrives, although perhaps that is the point in a film that sees value in retaining an air of mystery to the last.