Jorge

Director: Nicolás Goldbart  Creator: Malena Pichot, Producer:  Writers: Malena Pichot, Martiniano Cardoso, Bárbara García Castro, Sebastian Negri. Production: Tostaki,  World Sales: Murga TV, Country: Argentina, Language: Spanish, 2013, 8×30′, Rights: Ready Made: UK, France, Italy, French-speaking countries, German-speaking countries, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, Scandinavia and ex. Yugoslavia, Remake rights available.

An hilarious comedy from Argentina created by Malena Pichot (Malena Pichot, Estupides Compleja, Netflix). Jorge is a frustrated lawyer, emotionally disabled, lonely, and filled with prejudices. He despises the poor, immigrants, and disabled persons, he has very bigoted views. After the death of his father, whom he barely knew, and the subsequent loss of his girlfriend (ironically at his father’s funeral), he decides to rent out the rooms in the house he inherited to cover his expenses. His first tenants turn out to be – by sheer coincidence – the very people he despises, and he must learn to live with them: a homeless man, an illegal immigrant and a flamboyant fashion designer wins his heart.

Jorge, a dispirited and lonely lawyer working at a call center, inherits a large, neglected house after learning of his estranged father’s death. Simultaneously, his three-year relationship ends due to his emotional detachment. Feeling adrift, Jorge moves into the inherited house, seeking answers about his father but finding only his mother, Cristina, who is distant and unyielding.

While his mother wants him to work as a lawyer in her office, Jorge rebels and decides to rent out a room in the house, advised by his ex-girlfriend. The tenant, Ludo, is a confident and charismatic, wheelchair-user who transforms Jorge’s outlook. Living together is fraught with difficulties due to Jorge’s intolerance and obsession. However, Ludo, skilled in building relationships, remains hopeful.

Soon, Jorge meets Loli, Ludo’s best friend, a tomboy that against all odds is attracted to Jorge despite his shortcomings. Jorge’s financial woes persist, and he seeks another housemate, hoping to find a foreigner to charge in dollars or euros. They select Julio Cesar, a Paraguayan who accuses them of discrimination for not being gringo (Western European) or having euros. Eventually, they agree on a reduced rent. Jorge initially struggles to let go of his past and doesn’t realize the romantic opportunity with Loli.

A unique insight comes from an unexpected friendship he strikes up with a plainspeaking homeless guy also called Jose who becomes his confidant.During a party welcoming J.C., Jorge discovers Loli’s epilepsy when they are about to kiss, handling the situation badly. His search for answers about his father leads him to meet Susana, his grandfather’s former maid, who hated his grandad.

This realization prompts Jorge change his behaviour before turning into his grandad. After an incident, he and Loli develop a romantic relationship and she joins his housemates, Ludovico and J.C. They prepare a birthday party for Jorge, but complications arise. Jorge loses his job and faces emotional meltdown, leading to a transformation. He helps Ludovico in a discrimination incident, becoming more emotionally connected to others and finding his purpose. Jorge starts working with his mother, hiring Gonzalo as well, and matures emotionally. He ultimately embraces a new attitude, leading to a stable, happy relationship with Loli, forming a close-knit, unconventional family with Ludovico and J.C.