Iris Prize 2024: Vera and the Pleasure of Others

Dir: Romina Tamburello and Federico Actis. Argentina. 2023. 100 mins. (Spanish, English subtitles)

Vera in between school and volleyball classes, rents out an empty flat to teenagers looking for a place to have sex. Way to make money develops into Vera's discovery of her own sexual desires.

Vera discovers her own sexual desires as she listens to other people’s pleasure. 17-year-old Vera divides her days between volleyball, school, and a secret hobby: she rents out an empty apartment to teenagers looking for a place to have sex. She steals the keys from her distracted mother, who manages different properties, and organises everything. The teenagers come and go, using the apartment for a few uninterrupted hours. Playing invisible, Vera stays behind the closed door; her own sexual desires unfolding as she listens to other people’s pleasure.