Trailer for The Cleaner.
In the midst of a mysterious epidemic, Eusebio (Victor Prada), a depressed and isolated Peruvian man, cleans up the bloody detritus left behind by the dying. He finds a young boy, Joaquin (Adrian Du Bois), hiding out in an apartment, and brings him home to look after him until he can find his aunt. Eusebio makes eyeholes in a cardboard box, and convinces a frightened Joaquin that if he wears it on his head it will protect him. A tentative trust and sense of caring gradually builds between the two; Eusebio is quietly transformed as the epidemic rages on.
Making an impressive debut feature as writer/director, Adrian Saba shows admirable restraint in letting the relationship between two deeply guarded souls gently unfold, incorporating drily comedic touches and bravura, artfully composed long takes. Prada and Du Bois bring to life the pained humanity of their characters with a remarkably controlled intensity.