About the Film
Part documentary, part requiem, part visualization of a poem but as always, a mosaic of different sequences that come together in a truly unique way, “Breather” is one of Khavn's most personal films, as it deals with the last days of his father, Leonardo de la Cruz, who died of lung cancer at the age of 65.
Synopsis
The main part of the film revolves around an interview Khavn recorded with his father, which sheds much light on him as a character, both through personal stories of his family history, but also through his opinions, tastes, etc. This interview is “interrupted” by various footage, that includes sequences of Khavn with his piano teacher (who is not very keen on being recorded), Khavn's niece and nephew shooting with a camera at the hospital Leonardo was treated, Khavn's daughter, and various other sequences of kaleidoscopic nature, where the director's poems are presented through images. The initial scene, with Leonardo trying to breathe through a machine in the hospital, induces the film with a fatalistic atmosphere, which is toned down, though, through the aforementioned sequences.
