You’re with the love of your life, you’ve been together over six years, you’re trying for a baby, and then one of you is offered a dream artists’ residency 10,000KM away. What do you do?

10,000KM follows Alex (Natalia Tena) and her boyfriend Sergi’s (David Verdaguer) year apart. Whilst Sergi stays behind in their flat in Barcelona, Alex is living in a tiny apartment in Los Angeles.

The film opens with a realistic and beautiful sex scene – illustrating Alex and Sergi’s physical connection, and ease with one another. This serves as a contrast later in the film, when despite Skype calls and regular contact, the relationship faulters.

Writer/director Carlos Marques-Marcet uses shots of and through technology to bring the story to life, rather than as novelties, allowing the film to explore the role of technology and particularly social networks and video calls in relationships.

The couple’s relationship is further complicated by the fact that whilst Alex can speak English and Spanish (she’s originally from the UK), Sergi doesn’t speak English. Not only does this complicate plans for him joining her in Los Angeles, it means when he trawls her Facebook page to see what she’s been up to – it’s in another language.

The film explores many issues – the usual relationship quandaries, of when to have children, and what must been sacrificed, but also what compromises need to be made in a relationship, and by whom. Does the fact that Alex moved to Barcelona to be with Sergi mean that he is obligated to move with her to Los Angeles?

Despite the film having essentially only two characters, momentum is never lost – this gripping script brought to life by two excellent actors makes for an excellent, touching and thought-provoking film.

10,000KM is screening at Melbourne International Film Festival on Friday, 8 August and Thursday, 14 August 2014. Tickets can be purchased on the MIFF website.