Empty Nest (Spanish: El nido vacío) is a 2008 Argentine drama film written and directed by Daniel Burman and starring Oscar Martínez and Cecilia Roth.

The story is centered on a family of five, a father, mother, their two sons, and daughter, revolving around the father. The reality within the diegesis is the one of the father, Leonardo. The film plays with chronology and reality. Leonardo is a well-known writer and playwright, whose his wife left university studies to take care of the family. The film begins with a scene of a dinner in which Leonardo seems uncomfortable because, as is learned later in the film, he is witnessing a possible affair between his wife and an old college friend of hers. The film documents the troubles of the marriage as Leonardo has a brief affair with his dentist shortly after his youngest daughter leaves to Israel with her new husband Ianib. Leonardo's version of reality is, at many times, questionable during the film. He talks to a doctor that researches memory and they talk about the construction of memory and fantasy and it alludes to the self-reflexivity of the film. Leonardo's son in law Ianib leaves behind a book for him to read and asks for his opinion of it. Leonardo takes some time to actually read the book even though he carries it around for most of the film. When he finally reads the book, he is surprised to find out that it is brilliant. This scene is accompanied with a distinct use of lighting that focuses on Leonardo and his absorption within the novel.

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Empty Nest

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