Lorenzo, a young university student, leaves Spain for his first trip abroad. While in London, he meets and falls in love with Berta, the daughter of a Republican exile; Nine Letters to Berta is composed of his correspondence with her. Director Patino, also well known as a documentarist, follows Lorenzo as he attends classes, deals with his family, and plans for his future; meanwhile, in voice-over we hear the observations, judgments and personal feelings included in his letters. An interesting counterpoint between sound and image is set up, as Lorenzo's commentary often undercuts or subverts much of what we see. For Lorenzo, Berta comes to represent an impossible image of Spain, one which he cherishes yet finally realizes has no place in the world he lives in. Nine Letters to Berta offered fresh insights into the "crisis of conscience" which in so many ways became the central preoccupation of a generation of young Spaniards. Richard Peña