The construction of the Salto Grande dam in 1979 resulted in the uprooting of all residents of Federación, a small town in the Argentinean province of Três Rios. For thousands of dwellers, this meant having to leave their roots and friends behind as families and neighbors were separated. In their new town, there were no bars, cafés nor any other meeting point, and the place experienced a period of stagnant growth and declining population. Until one day when hot springs were discovered in the area turning Federación into a tourist attraction, a hotspot where suburban values find their strongest and most characteristic expression.