“Without Saying Goodbye,” a Netflix romantic drama film set in Peru, is about a world-class architect who travels to a rural place in Peru to discover a way to build a hotel over a tribal property where the rural folk live a mundane life. When he meets the landowner’s niece, with whom he falls in love, his resolve and objectives shift, causing enormous turbulence in his life. For her to be present in his life, he needs to tweak his worldview.
With gorgeous views of what life is like when you step into Peru’s old culture, director Bruno Ascenzo beautifully conveys the manner of the tribes in “Without Saying Goodbye.” This love story transports you to some of the most exotic locations on the planet, where people wear their hearts on their sleeves and embrace love with abandon. Salvador and Ariana’s story becomes vital if you were one seeking true love.
Plot Summary – Can Salvador Build His Dream Project?
Salvador Campondico, a world-renowned Spanish architect, is faced with a difficult construction project for a hotel in a Peruvian town. His father is hesitant to give his son this chance since he believes he is unprepared for a project of this magnitude and responsibility. Salvador, on the other hand, must retain his current resolution because his entire career and pride are riding on it.
When Salvador arrives at the location and investigates, he finds the key to a beautiful and laid-back apartment as per instructions by messages on his phone. Because it’s Peru, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and it begins to rain, pelting his enormous windows. He sets himself up and settles in. The rains return the next day and the key to the house’s entrance breaks. Due to the rain, he decides to go next door when he sees people enter a hostel that shares a wall with his home. The mood is pleasant once inside, and people are having a good time with dance, wine, and color.
Salvador’s life is going to change when he meets Lichi’s niece, Ariana, the landowner’s niece. If you’re a man, the Peruvians have a fierce way of capturing a woman’s heart and claiming her as your own. A long piece of paper is fashioned to protrude from the back of her body, and she must constantly move her hips and dance until the male who is interested in her must light it with a candle in his hand. This has to be done while she’s dancing, so it’s a real challenge. She accepts and dances with him only when the paper catches the flame of the candle.
A love story emerges as Salvador, and Ariana begins to court. They both have no idea what the future holds for them, yet they dig into it anyhow. After spending an intimate night with Salvador, Ariana learns the next morning that he plans to build a big hotel where she now resides. This enrages her since she is forced to give up her habitat to accommodate the wealthy, even though the tribal territory is considered sacrosanct.
Ariana is undecided about whether or not to trust Salvador. Despite his genuine intentions towards their land, Lichi, Ariana’s Aunt, finds Salvador enticing and advises Ariana to consider him a good suitor. It slowly dawns on Salvador that he must embrace Ariana’s world to understand her reservations. He approaches her for a tour of Peru and the Incas. She is reluctant, but she ultimately caves in.
Salvador and Ariana grow closer as lovers as they travel through the woods. They enter a jungle and continue to descend when they reach their destination, and Salvador learns about meditation. Salvador’s phone begins to ring, indicating that it has managed to connect to the internet, and Ariana tells him that he must put it away. The phone flies out of both of their hands during the scuffle, and the screen smashes, rendering the phone nearly worthless. As a result, Salvador reacts defiantly, making Ariana uneasy.
As the story of “Without Saying Goodbye” progresses, Salvador must detach from the outer world to discover his true calling within Peru’s beautiful surroundings. Will it be architecture and pleasing his father, or will it be freedom?
Major Spoilers Ahead
‘Without Saying Goodbye’ Ending Explained: Will Ariana Choose To Be With Salvador Despite His Ambitions?
Ariana is a fiery 30-year-old artist with a free spirit who considers her Aunt’s hostel to be her haven. While many artists are known for their intense emotions, Ariana has a scar on her body from an accident when she was 13 years old. When it happened, her parents were in the car with her. She was the sole survivor. Her Aunt then took her under her wing and raised her as if she were her child.
Salvador and Ariana ride the bus home after they tour Peru’s Inca culture. The road is long and winding, and the rain is pelting down heavily on the bus’s hood. Ariana starts to have a panic attack. Salvador attempts to console her, but it is in vain. The driver attempts to maneuver quietly, but he can’t see very well due to the rain. A window glass breaks, and everyone on the bus, including Ariana, is startled.
They both get off the bus when it comes to a stop. They have to walk the rest of the way to get to the hostel. When Lichi arrives to welcome them both, she notices something is awry. Salvador now understands Ariana’s suffering as Lichi finally tells him what Ariana went through as a child. Salvador must deal with all of the calls and emails he has missed from his father and his board of directors while Ariana recovers.
Salvador gets a lecture from his father about meeting the deadline for signing a contract with a specific government official, as well as trying to persuade Lichi to give up the hostel site so that the Hotel can expand. When Ariana learns of the hostel’s possible closure, she confronts her Aunt, who has yet to make a choice. Things take an unexpected turn when Ariana decides to leave right after realizing that, despite her strong love for Salvador, he has yet to truly commit to her and her demands.
Salvador is attempting to stop Ariana when he is astonished by a visit from his father, who has traveled to his location. Salvador is trying to repair the harm that his father is inflicting by insisting that Lichi sell her hostel as Ariana walks away with her luggage without informing anyone where she is going. Lichi responds with a resounding ‘NO,’ and informs Salvador that she has no idea where Ariana is going.
At the end of “Without Saying Goodbye,” we see Salvador go to great lengths to find Ariana. When she discovers his iPhone and plugs it into a charger, he eventually finds her. The phone’s location is switched on, and it sends an alert to his laptop. Once he knows where she is, he makes his way there with the help of three video bloggers he meets by chance. When he finds her, he admits that he has left the company to take a year off. He informs her that his Aunt is allowed to keep the hostel with the rest of the land because the project will not take place. A happily ever after for Ariana, and Salvador finds his resolve in his love for her and what she stands for.
In Conclusion
“Without Saying Goodbye” is a poetic and playful depiction of what love can do to our self-esteem and worldview. There is purity and serenity like no other place when you encounter all of Peru, as well as the rawness of their world. Every leaf and person that walks through the area exudes peace and serenity. Emotions are celebrated, with love being the most contagious.
The story of Salvador and Ariana is one of true love, wherein Romeo travels the world in search of his Juliette, which he eventually finds. Not only did he give up his wants and needs for her, but he also let her ideas influence his resolve to become a better person and a member of the tribal community. The ones who experience every aspect of life as it should be, in peace and serenity.
“Without Saying Goodbye” (also known as “Backpackers”) is a 2022 Spanish Romance Drama film written and directed by Bruno Ascenzo.
