All That We Never Were is an international feature film and a cinematic adaptation of a romance novel. The story centers on Leah Jones, a 19-year-old aspiring painter whose life is entirely shattered when her parents are killed in a sudden, tragic car crash.
Following the accident, Leah becomes a shadow of her former self, completely loses her will to live and stops painting altogether. Her only remaining anchor is her older brother, Oliver, however Oliver faces an agonizing dilemma when he receives a crucial, career-defining job offer that requires him to move far away to Germany. Not willing to leave his fragile sister alone, Oliver turns to his best friend , Axel Nguyen asking him to step in, take Leah under his wing and look after her while he is away.
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Axel who lives in a picturesque coastal town, reluctantly but faithfully agrees out of deep loyalty to Oliver, what Oliver and Axel do not know is that Leah has harbored a deep, consuming secret infatuation for Axel for nearly her entire life.When Leah moves into Axel’s coastal home, she is entirely closed off, he patiently tries to break down her emotional walls, pushing her boundaries, encouraging her to experience life again and gently urging her to pick up her paintbrushes. As Axel dedicates himself to her recovery, he begins to see past the broken girl and truly discovers the vibrant, beautiful woman Leah is becoming. Their relationship shifts dramatically, rapidly blurring the lines between a protective, brotherly dynamic and romantic passion.
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Axel is deeply torn between his undeniable, growing love for Leah and his sense of duty to Oliver, knowing that crossing the line into a romantic relationship with his best friend’s little sister violated a sacred trust. As their bond tightens, they can no longer suppress their feelings and eventually give in to their passion. However, the weight of their complicated reality soon crashes down on them and the looming threat of Oliver finding out immense strain on Axel. Axel makes the painful decision to break Leah’s heart, pushes her away, believing that she needs to learn how to stand on her own feet, face her grief independently and pursue her art. Devastated but forced into self-reliance Leah is left to find her true voice as an artist and a woman away from Axel’s protective shadow.
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Directed by: Jorge Alonso
Cast: Maxi Iglesias, Margarida Corceiro, Sebastian Zurita, Natalia Rodriguez
Running time: 107 minutes
Watch movie trailer here:
