In an unnamed Latin American country that closely resembles Mexico, the government fights a rural insurgency with torture, assault, rape, and murder. Soldiers descend on a town, cutting off the rebels from their cache of ammunition hidden in a field. A family of grandfather, son, and grandson are among the rebels in the hills. The grandfather, with his violin over his shoulder, tries to pass the checkpoint, ostensibly to tend his corn crop. The commanding officer lets him pass but insists on a daily music lesson.
Acting
Ángel Tavira's weathered face does what dialogue cannot.
Direction
Black-and-white cinematography that weaponizes shadows.
Writing
Dialogue so spare you hang on every word.
Director
Francisco Vargas
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ángel Tavira was genuinely blind and had never acted before; he was a traditional musician discovered in Oaxaca. Director Francisco Vargas built the entire film around him.
The 'unnamed country' deliberately evokes the Zapatista uprising and Mexico's Dirty War, though Vargas insisted on universality — the same dynamics played out across Latin America's Cold War military regimes.
MX
