Valentin(e) (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Leticia spent a day with Valentín after his father brought her along. During their time together, Valentín opened up about his family life, including his father's absence and the family dynamics. This caused Leticia to reevaluate her relationship and ultimately leave his father, who then blamed young Valentín for the breakup.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the film establishes that Leticia is the father's latest romantic interest, making her departure a turning point in the family tension.

• leticia
• breakup
• father
• family secrets

Valentín's mother was chased out of the family home by his imperious father after the divorce. A man later visits young Valentín and brings him a shirt his mother sent, helping him understand why she stayed away, she had been forced out by his father and likely wanted to protect him from further family conflict.

Foreshadowing: The timeline establishes early on that Valentín no longer sees his mother after she was driven from the home.

• mother
• absence
• divorce
• veronique

Valentín's father blames him because Leticia ended the relationship after learning the truth about the family from the child himself. The father, self-absorbed and unable to accept responsibility, directs his anger at young Valentín rather than acknowledging that his own behavior drove Leticia away.

Foreshadowing: The father's distant and self-absorbed nature is established early in the film, showing his tendency to avoid accountability.

• father
• blame
• anger
• leticia

Valentín notices his grandmother Maura is ill but she refuses to see a doctor. He devises a plan to get her to Dr. Galaburri, which succeeds in prompting lifestyle changes. However, despite these improvements, she ultimately dies after a hospital visit, and Valentin goes to stay with a school friend.

Foreshadowing: The film shows Valentin becoming increasingly worried about her health and taking action before it's too late.

• grandmother
• maura
• death
• hospital
• doctor

Valentín crafted a plan to get his stubborn grandmother Maura to see Dr. Galaburri. Though the exact method isn't detailed in the summary, the plan succeeded enough to prompt medical intervention and lifestyle changes, showing the boy's determination and resourcefulness in caring for her.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Valentin notices her illness but she refuses help, setting up his need to devise a clever approach.

• grandmother
• doctor
• galaburri
• plan
• medicine

At mass, the priest spoke about an Argentinian doctor who was killed, then referenced Che Guevara as a man who believed in an ideal and thought injustice could be overcome. He asked the congregation if any of them would give even a day for an ideal the way Che gave everything. The moment provokes young Valentín, who notes that despite the powerful words, nothing actually changed.

Foreshadowing: The scene occurs early when Uncle Chiche takes Valentin to church, establishing the theme of idealism versus reality.

• church
• che guevara
• priest
• idealism
• mass

Throughout the film, Valentin is portrayed as unusually wise for his age, often spoken to as an adult by his uncle Chiche and piano teacher Rufo. By the end, after experiencing his mother's absence, his grandmother's death, and orchestrating new connections between the adults in his life, he declares his decision to become a writer, a natural extension of his perceptive, reflective nature.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Valentin possesses a precocious wisdom and adult-like awareness beyond his eight years.

• writer
• dream
• future
• narrator

At the end, Valentin arranges a blind date between Leticia and his piano teacher Rufo. They share a meal together, and Leticia and Rufo end up forming a new, happier relationship. This represents Valentin taking agency in his own life and creating new family connections, culminating in a bittersweet but hopeful conclusion to his childhood story.

Foreshadowing: Both Leticia and Rufo are established as adult figures who treated Valentin with respect and maturity, making their pairing a natural outcome of his matchmaking.

• ending
• leticia
• rufo
• blind date
• happy ending

Valentin appears wiser than his eight years because he grew up in a fractured family environment, living with his grandmother after his parents' divorce. He is surrounded by adults, his uncle Chiche and piano teacher Rufo, who speak to him as an equal. This adult company and his difficult personal experiences gave him an unusual level of insight and emotional awareness.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes from the start that Valentin lives with his grandmother and has an adult-like awareness of family fractures.

• wisdom
• precocious
• child
• maturity
• uncle chiche
• rufo

Valentin's father François is described as imperious, dictator-like, and self-absorbed. He drove out Valentin'e mother after the divorce and is rarely present in day-to-day life. The film portrays him as someone who prioritizes his own pleasures and lifestyle over family responsibilities, which explains his preference for a playboy life and his distant relationship with his son.

Foreshadowing: The family setup establishes early that the father is distant and self-absorbed, preferring his own company to parental duties.

• father
• playboy
• argentine
• france
• absent