The story starts with a not so harmonious trio of man, wife and son, who are heading to a family gathering that will span the whole week. We feel their doubts about how the coming week will develop, given yet unspoken things that happened many years ago.
Until now everyone involved kept his feelings about past events to himself. Even worse, none of the underlying differences ever came clearly in the open. All of that remained under the surface. The coming week may either be riddled with hefty arguments and loaded with a heavy atmosphere, or the silence may continue with the status quo still existing without change.
The real main character of the film appears in the form of a donkey, bought in a impulse, without any real purpose short of being tied to a tree outside the house. But then comes the surprise: Remember the notion "catalyst" from chemistry lessons?? The donkey serves as a perfect example: though not actively participating in the events as they develop inside and outside the house, its role as a "catalyst" becomes very clear while being used as a sort of (albeit wordless) therapist. Everyone on his or her turn entrusts the donkey with their feelings and their plans, and subsequently acts as if the donkey officially stamped these.
Eventually, no stones are left unturned. Mutual relations are clarified step by step, at the same time enlightening us viewers about what happened before. We see everyones attitudes change in the process. Observing the positive mood in which the family members say goodbye at the end of the week, one would expect that all of them will live happily ever after.
That is where the movie ends. It leaves me with the idea that I saw an excellent movie with an intriguing theme, that also succeeded in keeping my attention from beginning to end.
