The Clan (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After the Falklands War ended in 1982, Arquímedes lost his income from state intelligence work. With no legal way to maintain his family's middle-class lifestyle, he turned to kidnapping wealthy individuals for ransom. His background in covert operations gave him the skills to plan and execute the crimes, and he involved his family to help identify and lure targets.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Arquímedes had worked for state intelligence, hinting at his ability to operate in shadows.

• arquimedes puccio
• falklands war
• kidnapping
• motive
• argentina 1982

Ricardo Manoukian was a friend and rugby teammate of Alejandro Puccio. Arquímedes kidnapped him for ransom but feared that keeping him alive would lead to identification and the family's arrest. He shot Ricardo to silence him permanently, justifying the murder by claiming it was necessary to protect the family from exposure.

Foreshadowing: Alejandro's initial conscience about the killing sets up his later moral crisis.

• ricardo manoukian
• murder
• first kidnapping
• alejandro puccio

Alejandro became his father's partner because he was the eldest son and had the perfect cover, his popularity as a rugby star allowed him to identify and befriend wealthy targets without suspicion. He initially helped lure potential victims and participated in the planning. His involvement deepened as he became invested in the family's financial success and perhaps sought his father's approval.

Foreshadowing: The film shows Alejandro as the idolized son who admires his father before discovering his true nature.

• alejandro puccio
• father-son
• criminal operations
• motivation

Eduardo Aulet, the teenage son of entrepreneur Florencio Aulet, was kidnapped by the Puccios. Although a ransom was paid, Eduardo had already been murdered during the abduction and was buried in a shallow grave on an empty construction site. This marked a brutal escalation in the family's crimes, as victims were now being killed even after payment.

Foreshadowing: The shift from the deli to a sporting goods store signals the family's growing boldness and cruelty.

• eduardo aulet
• ransom paid
• murder
• construction site

Guillermo, the youngest son, left Argentina for a sports trip abroad. At the airport, he revealed to Alejandro that he knew about the family's crimes and begged him to quit. Guillermo swore he would not return if the family was exposed, representing the family's moral conscience that ultimately rejected the criminal path.

Foreshadowing: Guillermo's departure foreshadows the family's collapse as his warning goes unheeded.

• guillermo puccio
• airport
• leaving
• moral conscience

After Guillermo's emotional plea at the airport, Alejandro decided he could not participate in the next planned kidnapping of businessman Emilio Naum. His refusal caused the operation to fail, Naum was murdered during the botched abduction when he resisted. This act of defiance angered Arquímedes, who accused Alejandro of ingratitude for the lifestyle his crimes provided.

Foreshadowing: Alejandro's moral reversal marks the beginning of his internal fracture.

• alejandro
• emilio naum
• refused
• kidnapping
• guilt

During the trial, the prosecutor offered Arquímedes a deal: if he confessed as the mastermind, his family would not be indicted as accomplices. Arquímedes refused, insisting that his military superiors had forced him into the crimes and that he could not sacrifice himself to protect them. His refusal revealed his unwillingness to accept personal responsibility for his actions.

Foreshadowing: This moment confirms Arquímedes's self-serving nature that has defined his leadership throughout the film.

• plea deal
• confession
• mastermind
• trial
• military superiors

After a bitter confrontation in jail where Arquímedes manipulated Alejandro into punching him, Alejandro was consumed by despair. The combination of guilt over his crimes, his father's manipulation, the collapse of his family, and his own moral reckoning led him to jump from the fifth floor of the tribunal building while being escorted to testify. The attempt symbolized his complete psychological break.

Foreshadowing: The confrontation scene directly precedes and triggers the suicide attempt, showing the father's final corruption.

• alejandro
• suicide attempt
• jail
• father confrontation
• despair

In August 1985, the police raided the Puccio home during a ransom exchange at a service station, freeing the kidnapped victim Nélida Bollini de Prado and arresting most of the family. Adriana was the only member who remained untouched by authorities. The raid ended their criminal operation and triggered massive media coverage that branded them the "Puccio Clan."

Foreshadowing: Earlier warnings from Arquímedes's military contacts about increasing public attention foreshadowed this downfall.

• police raid
• arrest
• 1985
• puccio clan
• media

Adriana, the youngest daughter still in middle school, discovered the horrifying truth when she overheard the screams of Nélida Bollini de Prado, who was being held captive in the family's basement. This moment shattered her image of the family and represented the moment when the family's dark secrets could no longer be hidden from the innocent members.

Foreshadowing: Adriana's discovery represents the inevitable corruption of even the youngest family members.

• adriana
• discovered
• basement
• nelida bollini
• screams

In December 1983, after Argentina returned to democracy, Arquímedes consulted former military officer Aníbal Gordon, who had worked with him in the 1970s. Gordon warned him to lie low because the new political climate would remove the military protection they once enjoyed. Arquímedes dismissed this advice, confident that his calculations and skills would continue to protect him from exposure.

Foreshadowing: This overconfidence in his own abilities ultimately led to the family's destruction.

• anibal gordon
• warning
• democracy
• military protection
• ignored