Km. 0
Encyclopedia
Km. 0 is a 2000
film from Spain
that tells several intertwining tales of mistaken identity and coincidental meetings (that may not be coincidental) that take place near the Kilometre Zero
marker in the Puerta del Sol
in Madrid
.
Pedro arranges to meet Silvia at Kilometre Zero to stay with her in Madrid, but ends up mistaking Tatiana for her. Tatiana was there to meet new client Sergio, who ends up meeting Maximo instead. Maximo was there to meet Bruno, whom he'd met cruising
on the internet. Bruno ends up meeting Benjamin, who's had to leave his apartment so that Miguel can meet his client, Marga. Silvia sees Gerard in his car and throws herself in front of it to catch his attention. Meanwhile, Amor walks Mario to work at the bar and goes shopping for a watch for him and for a fitting of her wedding dress.
Tatiana takes Pedro to her apartment, which is filthy. She gives him a blow job
and, when she realizes he's not her client, breaks down crying. Struck by her emotion, he begins framing her as if through a camera's viewfinder. To calm herself, Tatiana takes a sleeping pill, and when she awakens, Pedro is cleaning her apartment. He persuades her to believe in her own worth, buying her a new outfit (which she compares to Pretty Woman
) and convincing her that she can charge 50,000 pesetas
instead of 5,000 as she had been.
Miguel takes Marga to his apartment for their appointment. Afterwards, she sees a wallet and finds a photograph inside. She has the same photo in her wallet; it's the only picture she has of herself and her son, whom she'd abandoned some 25 years before. Horrified, she leaves and ends up at Mario's bar.
Benjamin takes Bruno back to the apartment as well. After they spend some time together, Bruno realizes that Benjamin has lied about being his computer date. He plans to leave, but they each confess that they've fallen in love with each other. Benjamin runs to the bar to buy a bottle of champagne. There, Marga sees that it's Benjamin's wallet that she'd seen earlier and that Benjamin, not Miguel, is her son.
Gerard takes Silvia into the bar to tend to her "injuries" and she works to convince him to cast her in his new musical. She alternately recites from Romeo and Juliet
and threatens to make trouble for him because of the "accident." Gerard mocks her for reciting Shakespeare to audition for a musical and threatens her back, physically. As he begins to stalk out, Silvia sings Maybe This Time from Cabaret
. Gerard finds her performance revelatory.
Maximo and Sergio also end up at the bar, where Maximo teases and flirts outrageously with the sexually repressed Sergio, including fondling his leg under the table. Sergio ends up in the restroom with an erection
and, after Maximo gives him a neckrub, he has a spontaneous orgasm
. Maximo reassures Sergio that it doesn't mean he's gay, just horny.
Amor gets robbed three times in the same day, including being dragged in the street when a man in a car snatches her purse. She reports the crimes to "Policia" (the character is not otherwise named), and as she gets up to leave, he sees that her skirt is badly torn. As he fixes it with a stapler, she notices his watch. He explains that it was a gift from his only girlfriend, who he'd met when he was twelve and whose name he never learned. Amor tells him that her name was "Amor," that she was that girl. The two have been in love ever since without knowing who the other is. They end up at the bar, where "Policia" tells Mario that he and Amor are going to marry.
The newly sophisticated-looking Tatiana enters the bar, but her nerve fails her. As she dashes out, Pedro catches her and again builds her confidence. They re-enter the bar and Maximo, calling himself Sergio's "guardian angel," arranges for Sergio to go with Tatiana. Tatiana confides in Pedro that she only asked for 40,000 pesetas instead of 50,000 and says she needs more lessons from him. They agree to live together for the three months he'll be in Madrid. Tatiana and Sergio prepare to leave; Sergio wants to say goodbye to Maximo, but Maximo has vanished. He appears sitting on a roof ledge overlooking Benjamin and Bruno as Bruno dances for Benjamin, suggesting that Maximo is their "guardian angel" as well. Miguel finds Marga at the bar and, relieved that she hasn't committed incest
, Marga arranges to spend a week or longer with him. Marga also gives Mario the 2,000,000 pesetas that he needs to open his photo store. Mario discovers the birthday present, a watch, that Roma slipped into his pocket several hours earlier. He kisses her, somewhat hesitantly, and she tells him that she'll wait for him.
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
film from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
that tells several intertwining tales of mistaken identity and coincidental meetings (that may not be coincidental) that take place near the Kilometre Zero
Kilometre Zero
In many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...
marker in the Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta del Sol is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. This is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year...
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Plot
Km. 0 features over a dozen characters, including:- Silvia (Mercè PonsMercè PonsMercè Pons is a known Catalan TV, dubbing, theatre and movie actress born in 1966.Experienced in theatres and discos, she has taken part in several movies and TV series like Abuela de verano or Compañeros...
) - a 35-year-old struggling actress - Pedro (Carlos Fuentes) - a young aspiring film director whose sister is a friend of Silvia's
- Tatiana (Elisa Matilla) - an insecure prostitute
- Sergio (Alberto San Juan) - a young businessman
- Amor (SilkeSilkeSilke is a Germanic female given name originally derived from Latin. There are two separate meanings:*Silke is a Frisian diminutive form of Cecilia, from the Roman family name Caecilius...
) - a young woman engaged to Mario - Mario (Tristán UlloaTristán UlloaTristán Ulloa is a Spanish actor, writer, and director.He was born in Orléans to a Spanish mother and father exiled in France...
) - the bartender at a bar near the Kilometre Zero who dreams of opening a photography shop - Miguel (Jesús Cabrero) - a gigolo
- Marga (Concha VelascoConcha VelascoConcepción Velasco Varona, known as Concha Velasco or Conchita Velasco, is a Spanish film actress, theatre actress, singer, and TV conductor. She was born at Valladolid November 29, 1939...
) - a bored older wife left in Madrid by her husband during business meetings - Benjamin (Miquel García Borda) - a student and Miguel's gay roommate
- Bruno - (Víctor Ullate, Jr.) a gay flamencoFlamencoFlamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dancer - Roma (Cora Tiedra) - Amor's sister, who has a crush on Mario
- Gerardo (Georges CorrafaceGeorges CorrafaceGeorges Corraface is a Franco-Greek actor who has had an international career in film and television, following many years in French theatre, notably as a member of the famed Peter Brook Company. His film credits include To Tama, Escape from L.A., La Pasión Turca, Vive La Mariée, Impromptu,...
) - an established director casting for a musicalMusical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate... - Policia (Roberto Álamo) - a police officer
- Maximo (Armando del Río) - another gay man
Pedro arranges to meet Silvia at Kilometre Zero to stay with her in Madrid, but ends up mistaking Tatiana for her. Tatiana was there to meet new client Sergio, who ends up meeting Maximo instead. Maximo was there to meet Bruno, whom he'd met cruising
Cruising for sex
Cruising for sex, or cruising is the act of walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety...
on the internet. Bruno ends up meeting Benjamin, who's had to leave his apartment so that Miguel can meet his client, Marga. Silvia sees Gerard in his car and throws herself in front of it to catch his attention. Meanwhile, Amor walks Mario to work at the bar and goes shopping for a watch for him and for a fitting of her wedding dress.
Tatiana takes Pedro to her apartment, which is filthy. She gives him a blow job
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
and, when she realizes he's not her client, breaks down crying. Struck by her emotion, he begins framing her as if through a camera's viewfinder. To calm herself, Tatiana takes a sleeping pill, and when she awakens, Pedro is cleaning her apartment. He persuades her to believe in her own worth, buying her a new outfit (which she compares to Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy film set in Los Angeles, California. Written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, this motion picture features Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and also Hector Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. Roberts played the only...
) and convincing her that she can charge 50,000 pesetas
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
instead of 5,000 as she had been.
Miguel takes Marga to his apartment for their appointment. Afterwards, she sees a wallet and finds a photograph inside. She has the same photo in her wallet; it's the only picture she has of herself and her son, whom she'd abandoned some 25 years before. Horrified, she leaves and ends up at Mario's bar.
Benjamin takes Bruno back to the apartment as well. After they spend some time together, Bruno realizes that Benjamin has lied about being his computer date. He plans to leave, but they each confess that they've fallen in love with each other. Benjamin runs to the bar to buy a bottle of champagne. There, Marga sees that it's Benjamin's wallet that she'd seen earlier and that Benjamin, not Miguel, is her son.
Gerard takes Silvia into the bar to tend to her "injuries" and she works to convince him to cast her in his new musical. She alternately recites from Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
and threatens to make trouble for him because of the "accident." Gerard mocks her for reciting Shakespeare to audition for a musical and threatens her back, physically. As he begins to stalk out, Silvia sings Maybe This Time from Cabaret
Cabaret (film)
Cabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
. Gerard finds her performance revelatory.
Maximo and Sergio also end up at the bar, where Maximo teases and flirts outrageously with the sexually repressed Sergio, including fondling his leg under the table. Sergio ends up in the restroom with an erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
and, after Maximo gives him a neckrub, he has a spontaneous orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
. Maximo reassures Sergio that it doesn't mean he's gay, just horny.
Amor gets robbed three times in the same day, including being dragged in the street when a man in a car snatches her purse. She reports the crimes to "Policia" (the character is not otherwise named), and as she gets up to leave, he sees that her skirt is badly torn. As he fixes it with a stapler, she notices his watch. He explains that it was a gift from his only girlfriend, who he'd met when he was twelve and whose name he never learned. Amor tells him that her name was "Amor," that she was that girl. The two have been in love ever since without knowing who the other is. They end up at the bar, where "Policia" tells Mario that he and Amor are going to marry.
The newly sophisticated-looking Tatiana enters the bar, but her nerve fails her. As she dashes out, Pedro catches her and again builds her confidence. They re-enter the bar and Maximo, calling himself Sergio's "guardian angel," arranges for Sergio to go with Tatiana. Tatiana confides in Pedro that she only asked for 40,000 pesetas instead of 50,000 and says she needs more lessons from him. They agree to live together for the three months he'll be in Madrid. Tatiana and Sergio prepare to leave; Sergio wants to say goodbye to Maximo, but Maximo has vanished. He appears sitting on a roof ledge overlooking Benjamin and Bruno as Bruno dances for Benjamin, suggesting that Maximo is their "guardian angel" as well. Miguel finds Marga at the bar and, relieved that she hasn't committed incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, Marga arranges to spend a week or longer with him. Marga also gives Mario the 2,000,000 pesetas that he needs to open his photo store. Mario discovers the birthday present, a watch, that Roma slipped into his pocket several hours earlier. He kisses her, somewhat hesitantly, and she tells him that she'll wait for him.
Awards and nominations
- Boulder Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature Film (2002)
- Goya AwardsGoya AwardsThe Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain's main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards....
Best Original Song - nominated (2001) - Hamburg Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Eurola Award (2001)
- OutfestOutfestOutfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
Audience Award for Outstanding Narrative Feature (2002) - Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award (2001)
- Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalPhiladelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalThe Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by TLA Entertainment Group in 1995. The event is the third largest of its kind in the US, and the largest on the East Coast....
Audience Award Best Feature (2001)