The Narrative Present ofAño Uña: The Chronicle
As we have already indicated, the filmic expression ofAño Uñais quite similar
toLa Jetéeand the seriesPhoto-Romans: it is a narrative fiction about indivi-
dual events. It does not illustrate a typical life situation (likeOne Day) nor is it
about the historic past (likeSolvorn). Its production of pastness is, neverthe-
less, less strong than inPhoto-Romans. The fact that it strangely enough turns
from black-and-white film into color film one-third of the way into the film may
be significant here. More importantly, however, is the combination of several
first-person narrators who often speak in the present tense, and the unclear dis-
tinction between voice-overs and interior monologues.
There are numerous interior monologues inAño Uña.This narrative mode is
most obvious in the case of Diego. Diego’s voice is often heard when seen alone
in a room, filled with sexual fantasies or troubled by his toenail. Given the priv-
acy of his thoughts and the visual presentation of him being alone, Diego’s voice
most likely should be recognized as giving the auditory equivalent of his
thoughts. However, due to the impossibility of lip-synching in a slide-motion
film, the distinction between interior monologues and ordinary monologues
may be difficult to distinguish. The grandmother’s birthday party inAño Uña
may be indicative: On herth birthday, Diego’s grandmother is at the center of
everyone’s attention while she is looking through some images and reflects on
what she sees. Her slightly hushed voice may be perceived as a depiction of her
thoughts being overheard by the audience, but it is unclear whether some of
those sitting close to her can also hear what she is saying.
In Molly’s case, it is not only the distinction between these two different die-
getic modes–monologues and auditory representations of thoughts–that may
be difficult to distinguish. It is also difficult to ascertain the difference between
diegetic and extradiegetic modes, that is, whether or not what she says is part of
the action we see unfolding or a reflection upon it made at a later stage. It seems
reasonable to consider most of the first-person narrators in this film as part of its
narrative universe (that is, diegetic narrators, perceivable by the other charac-
ters or not). Molly’s voice, on the other hand, seems to float between narrative
modes, in and out of the diegesis, never far away in time, but often reflecting
upon her situation at a slight remove in time and/or emotion. We follow Molly
from when we first meet her coming down the stairs in a subway station some-
where in Mexico until she returns to New York as if we are getting an overview
of her whereabouts and overhearing her thoughts as dictated to her diary.
The private chronicle ofAño Uña, its many present-tense narrators and their
somewhat uncertain status (thoughts, talks, comments) creates a certain tempo-
ral instability between the intimacy of the present and the temporal distance of
100 Liv Hausken