There is a man on the screen. He is alone and does not speak, not even to himself. He limits himself to huffing, perhaps spluttering and sweating, as he moves as best he can between rehabilitation rooms and gyms. Suddenly a close-up of his leg appears, on which there is a huge scar. They spread the Betadine well, as if it were butter on bread. Tests, MRIs and anesthesia injections begin so that the system can hold up, not just itself. Capitalism in syringe doses.
Francisco Alarcón Suarez, Iscohe’s going through that ordeal that athletes go through when an injury keeps them out for a longer period than anyone would have liked. His club, Real Betis Balompié, himself and the fans. His wife, actress Sara Sálamo, captures this in a documentary, in silencewhere everything goes from less to more.
Isco doesn’t speak at first, but he will. As that leg heals and he returns to playing and scoring goals, he will collect prizes, he will argue with his wife and laugh together in the elevator, he will joke with his children when Luis de la Fuente doesn’t call him to play for the national team. Even though we know he will. And in between, the music that gives rhythm and ends up sounding like one of those anthems that you sing at the top of your lungs, as if your life depends on it. Even a haircut and an accent that swings, pure Malaga when in a safe environment, and a little plateau when the microphones appear.
Sálamo wanted to paint a portrait of a man who earns millions but is mortal and a bit introverted. To fight that worn-out thing that your salary and your job forces you to not be able to complain about. It’s not one of those documentaries to fatten the ego of the protagonist – “I’m a crack”, they often say themselves, “he’s a crack”, confirm all the people around him – and show us the enthusiasm he brings with him. It is the trial of a man who silently leads marches and does what he can to hide it. His is a clean look, in which he protects children and the place where everyone lives. The only gap in the ostentation is the initials of baseball player Carolina Herrera appearing on the chest. There are no interviews or speeches. It is the story of a man, his leg and his silences. And a woman who focuses.
