Waiting for the Hearse

The Musicardi matriarch Mamá Cora lives with her son Jorge and faces financial trouble and lack of space. Susana, Jorge's wife, pleads with the siblings to take Mamá Cora away for a while after she misinterprets an incident where Mamá Cora ruined part of Susana's meal. The attempt to relocate Mamá Cora exposes deep resentments that will color the family’s afternoon.

Susana storms into Sergio's house, where he's getting ready with his wife Elvira and their daughter Matilde to host a Sunday meal for Antonio and Nora. The guests represent a recently ascendant, ambiguous social rise from the dictatorship era. Despite Susana's pleas, the family refuses to house Mamá Cora, widening the rift.

After the confrontation, Mamá Cora decides to go out to avoid being a nuisance. She ends up at the house across Sergio's, babysitting Dominga's son and observing the escalating tensions below. Her absence becomes a catalyst for looming tragedy.

News spreads of the discovery of an old lady's disfigured body after she committed suicide by throwing herself under a train. The family immediately suspects Mamá Cora, fearing she killed herself to stop being a bother. The sudden turn of events intensifies guilt and panic among the siblings.

In a rush of remorse, the family organizes a funeral for the (assumed) deceased Mamá Cora and extends invitations to many relatives and friends. The gathering is saturated with years of resentment and intrigue as they try to salvage dignity. From Dominga's terrace, Mamá Cora's presence is unwittingly noted by the planning family.

While the family carries on with the funeral arrangements, Mamá Cora sits on Dominga's terrace, observing from above as the plans swirl below her. Her quiet presence underscores the gulf between her world and theirs. The tension in the house grows even as everyone pretends nothing is wrong.

Years of troubles, resentment, and intrigues rise to the surface as relatives jockey for position during the vigil. The preparations for death expose long-held grudges and competing loyalties within the Musicardi clan. The atmosphere is charged, heavy with unspoken pain.

In the middle of her own vigil, Mamá Cora reappears alive, stunning the family who believed she had died. Her unexpected return forces the clan to confront their assumptions and the sense of a life that refuses to be simply forgotten. The moment shifts the balance of power and sympathy within the gathering.

Mamá Cora is persuaded to attend the funeral of the old Hungarian woman whose body had been sent to the Musicardi family by mistake. She does this to avoid discovery of her own supposed funeral, adding a final twist to an already surreal afternoon. The family watches as the living matriarch participates in someone else's farewell.

The funeral reveals the mistaken identity of the body shipped to the Musicardis, underscoring the absurdity of the afternoon’s crisis. The family remains to reflect on the sequence of events and the fragility of their certainties. The revelation forces a reconsideration of their relationships with Mamá Cora.

With the Hungarian service concluded, the Musicardis sit in stunned quiet and try to process what has happened. They reflect on years of trouble, resentment, and intrigue that nearly tore the family apart. The afternoon ends with a sense that Mamá Cora's survival may finally demand a changed dynamic.

The late afternoon and evening culminate with Mamá Cora's surprising return reshaping the family dynamics. The others are left to decide how to honor and care for her going forward. The film closes on a note of fragile reconciliation born from chaos.