Catapang, Noreen D.

BSA – 5201

I. TITLE
Perdiendo El Norte

II. SETTING
Hugo and Braulio are two underemployed professionals in Spain who
are caught up in the country’s post-recession state. They grew tired of their
employment status so they look for ways on how to get out of Spain. After
seeing a convincing television commercial about jobs in Germany, the two
decided to immigrate to Berlin, Germany as they thought it is an employment
paradise.

III. CHARACTERS/ROLE
Yon Gonzalez as Hugo – He is a business graduate, who cannot find a job
and when he finally does, the company collapses amid financial scandal on
the first day.
Julian Lopez as Braulio – He has degrees in biology and chemistry. He is
told that his research grant has run out just as he stands on the brink of a
great scientific discovery.
Blanca Suarez as Carla – She is a Spanish girl who has lived in Berlin for
several years who later on developed affection with Hugo.
Ursula Corbero as Nadia – She is the fiancee of Hugo who was left in Spain.
Younes Bachir as Hakan – He is a Spanish owner of a restaurant where
Hugo and Braulio worked for.
Malena Alterio as Marisol – She is the wife of Hakan.
Miki Esparbe as Rafa – He is the brother of Carla.
Jose Sacristan as Andres – He is a Spanish expatriate who challenged
Hugo that he will last for two months only in Germany.
Javier Camara as Prospero – He is the father of Hugo.
Carmen Machi as Benigna – She is the mother of Hugo.
Catapang, Noreen D. BSA – 5201

IV. CLIMAX
Hugo’s parents and fiancée visited him in Germany. Carla, Rafa,
Hakan and Marisol acted as if they are Hugo’s employees to convince his
parents and fiancée that he has a good life in Germany. As they are being
introduced with each other Carla learned that Hugo is already engaged. With
much of anger, Carla revealed that everything is a lie about Hugo’s
employment status. It was on the same day, Hakan confronted Braulio about
fathering the child of Marisol.

V. SUMMARY
Hugo who is a business graduate, with master’s degree, cannot find a
decent job. When he finally found a job, the company collapses amid financial
scandal on his first day at work. Braulio has degrees in biology and chemistry.
He is told that his research grant has run out just as he stands on the brink of
a great scientific discovery. So he left his job.
After seeing a convincing television commercial about jobs in
Germany, the two decided to immigrate to Germany, where it is rumored that
there are positions waiting to be filled by people with degrees. To their
dismay, they find that it is not as easy as they thought it would be. They met
Rafa who offered the two to share in their room. Little did they know, Rafa is
the brother of Carla, the girl they bumped into when they arrived in Germany.
The two men faced struggles in finding work. Language barrier made it even
harder for the two to find a job. They ended up working in the restaurant of
Hakan as dishwasher.
While in Germany, Hugo’s father loses his job so Hugo ended up
sending most of his earnings to Spain together with the lies about his
employment status. After hearing about how good Hugo’s life is in Germany,
his parents together with his fiancée, Nadia, decided to visit him. Hugo and
Carla have grown affection as time passes by, that Hugo almost forgot he has
a fiancée back home.
Catapang, Noreen D. BSA – 5201

Braulio, on the other hand, wanted to learn the German language but
he has no money to pay for the lessons. Hakan volunteered to teach him the
German language. As much as Hakan tried his best to teach Braulio, Braulio
has not learned anything from their lessons. Out of desperation to have
money, Braulio joined Rafa in selling his sperm to a fertility clinic.
Hakan and his wife Marisol are unable to conceive a child. The doctor
informs them that they will undergo tests to determine if one of them is sterile.
Without the knowledge of Hakan, Marisol went to a fertility clinic. Braulio and
Marisol had an encounter at the clinic. Marisol suggested funding Braulio’s
German language lessons in exchange of his sperm. Later on, Marisol finally
conceives a child and Hakan learned that he is sterile.
When Hugo’s parents and fiancée visited him, Rafa, Carla, Hakan and
Marisol acted as if they are Hugo’s employees to convince his parents and
fiancée that he has a good life in Germany. Carla eventually found out that
Hugo already has a fiancée in the name of Nadia. As she blurted out her
anger to Hugo, she revealed the truth behind Hugo’s employment.
Hakan, on the other hand, found out that Braulio is the father of
Marisol’s baby. He then cut his ties with the two.
Hugo returned to Spain and left Carla’s broken heart in Germany. He
worked for Nadia’s father while they are preparing for their wedding. As time
goes by, he slowly realized that it is no longer Nadia who he wants, it is Carla.
On the day of their wedding, Hugo had a deep talk with his father. His father
told him to marry for love, not for money, because his father does not want
Hugo to end up like him. Hugo left Nadia in the middle of the wedding and
immediately booked a flight to Germany. He searched for Carla amongst the
thousands runner of Berlin Marathon. They found each other and finally
reconciled.
On the day of the marathon, Marisol was supposed to have her regular
check-up. Braulio went to Hakan to tell him to forgive them and accompany
Marisol in her check-up. Marisol went to the restaurant to meet Braulio when
she felt a pang of pain in her stomach. Hakan offered his van so they can
Catapang, Noreen D. BSA – 5201

bring her to the hospital. They got stuck because the roads are closed for
marathon. Hakan, Braulio, Andres and Rafa have no choice but to help
Marisol give birth. Marisol successfully gave birth and Hakan finally accepted
the baby as their child.
While Hugo and Carla live happily in Germany, Braulio got his
certificate and won a scientific fellowship in China.

VI. MORAL LESSON

The moral lesson I got from the movie is that success cannot be done
overnight. To be successful, you must persevere, be determined enough and
be patient. Sometimes you have to experience what it feels like at the bottom
before you climb on top. Do not rush things. Your time will come. Do not
easily give up when one problem arises. Fight for what you love. Little by little,
everything will fall into the proper places like what you have dreamed of.

VII. CRITIQUE
This movie tells us that no matter how good our credentials are,
sometimes, there is no perfect job for us. It showed us what the reality is. The
profession of Hugo and Braulio are both important and in need but they still
ended up being underemployed. This gives the viewer especially those who
are looking for a job an idea when it comes to employment. It is not about the
qualities and credentials you have; it is your perseverance and determination
to get your dream job. I think that is what makes this movie beautiful.
The things that I do not like about the movie are the fact that Hugo kind
of cheated and when Marisol has been impregnated by Braulio. It is not
wrong to fall in love but Hugo should have ended his relationship with Nadia
by the time he felt like he is developing affection with Carla. Every husband
and wife’s dream is to build a family. It really hurts knowing that one of them
might be sterile. Marisol’s idea of how to be pregnant is absurd. Despite the
learnings the characters got from these, for me, these are not good for the
eyes of the viewers.