About

A mesmerising retelling of the horrors and pervasive paranoia of the Pinochet era by way of tense, often dream-like and thoroughly unpredictable drama. Carmen is a wealthy and visibly bored housewife is in the midst of second-home renovations when her local priest asks her to secretly nurse a wounded young man who has fallen foul of the authorities.

The issue in question - the repression and violence of the time - are not mentioned, such is the script's well-judged subtlety.  But perhaps the main topic here is the comfortable numbness of the middle class, with the rug being well and truly pulled from under Carmen's feet, as she begins to understand what is happening around her and that her actions may have placed her in peril.

The film's atmosphere and its wonderfully paced suspense are due, in no small part, to its sparse dialogue, together with an intriguing, unsettling original score and remarkable sound mixing. Manuela Martelli's much-lauded debut feature went on to win several awards worldwide, including the First Feature Competition at the 2022 London Film Festival.

The film - and its context in South American cinema - will be introduced by Dr Jon Hackett, Associate Professor - Film and Communications at St Mary's University.