Man Facing Southeast

On a summer day in 1985, the staff at José Borda Psychiatric Hospital discover an extra patient in the chapel, where a young man plays the organ with astonishing skill. He introduces himself as Rantés and explains that his presence on Earth is a projection from light years away. Dr. Denis is amused and intrigued, yet he ultimately allows Rantés to stay after seeing how his gentleness helps the other patients.

The hospital's lonely psychiatrist, recently divorced, finds in Rantés a rare source of fascination. He suspects the 'projected hologram' explanation may be a clever charade, yet the exchange reveals a potential bond between doctor and patient. Denis begins to see Rantés as both a brilliant mind and a possible friend.

Denis arranges for Rantés to work in the hospital's pathology department, drawn by his kindness and persuasive presence. He quickly earns the loyalty of the other patients and gains Denis's respect. Denis remains concerned by Rantés's unauthorized absences and avoidance of his medications, but he respects the volunteer role and supports his requests.

Beatriz visits the hospital and tells Denis about Rantés's work with children in a slum and his devotion to a gifted child, portraying him as a very good man. Denis is charmed and asks about Beatriz; Rantés describes her as special and calls her a Saint. The two men form a cautious connection as Beatriz becomes part of the unfolding dynamic.

Beatriz invites Denis and Rantés to an outdoor classical concert. When the orchestra begins Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rantés is drawn into the music and persuades the conductor to let him take the baton for the Ode to Joy. The moment electrifies the crowd and the hospital's patients, who parade through town in a state of joyous frenzy before the authorities intervene and Rantés is arrested.

Back at the hospital, the angry Director confronts Denis, whose concern for Rantés has overshadowed his administrative duties. He orders that Rantés be closely monitored and strictly medicated. Denis accepts the reality that his friend’s freedom may be curtailed, even as he hopes to protect him.

Under the medication, Rantés becomes quiet and rebellious, suggesting he may be losing faith in humankind. Denis grapples with his growing doubts about the world and his patient. He invites Beatriz to his home, where they share a moment of intimacy and Beatriz reveals she is also an alien projection who can feel emotion and love.

Denis confronts Beatriz in his home, accusing her of being as lunatic as Rantés and throwing her out. The tension between medical rationality and otherworldly presences deepens, leaving Denis unsettled about what is real. Beatriz's departure intensifies the rift between the doctor and the phenomena surrounding Rantés.

Rantés descends into a catatonic state as the hospital tries to manage him with medication. The Director orders electroshock therapy without informing Denis. Rantés endures the treatment and dies of a heart attack during the procedure.

The other patients refuse to accept his death and wait for Rantés to return from his ship to guide them to his planet. They carry on the belief that he is still out there, or traveling spaceward, and they keep vigil in the wards. The hospital community clings to the hope that they will be transported to another world.

Meanwhile, Denis wrestles with doubt about humankind and his own capacity for happiness. He waits for Beatriz, who remains away, and reflects on what he has learned from his time with Rantés. The waiting underscores his loneliness and unresolved longing.

The experience leaves Denis with a jaded outlook on life and a sense that love and wonder may have come at the cost of his own contentment. He contemplates the possibility that Rantés was a real, otherworldly presence and the price of such encounters. The film closes on a note of unresolved longing.