The Substitute tells the story of Lucio (Juan Minujín), recently appointed as a substitute literature teacher at a high school in an underserved area of Buenos Aires.
Lucio has to hit the ground running if he wants to find a way to connect with the minds - and the realities - of a cohort of students with far tougher things than homework to worry about.
Lucio also has big shoes to fill: those of his ailing father, known as “El Chileno” (Alfredo Castro), a well-loved community organiser who is about to open a soup kitchen, years in the making, but is constantly being threatened by a local gang as they seek total control of the area through drugs and corrupt politics.
When one of his students lands in trouble with the local kingpin, Lucio has to step out from his teaching duties to protect both the teenager and the fragile bond he’s forging with his pupils.