Berta's Motives (Los Motivos de Berta: Fantasía de Pubertad)

Berta is a young teen experiencing all the changes that occur when childhood is left behind and life as an adult woman begins to dawn. This first film by novice director Jose Luis Guerin is excellently structured around action and events, gestures and facial expressions, that subtly reveal the differences in Berta's expanding life. In black and white with a soundtrack that enhances the simple story, the movie is minimalist, but effective.