"Aita"
Though a Catalonian production, this film takes place in the Basque region of Spain.
The central character is a neglected but lovely old house. We, the audience, serve as observers as a caretaker quietly goes about his work of giving the house just what it needs… some hard work and affection.
Beautifully photographed, this is a quiet and poetic visit with what the house is able to share, a long history of lives lived within its walls.
"The Christening"
A powerful Polish film which reunites two old friends who have tried to move on from their criminal pasts. Each has been somewhat successful in doing this in the short term but their pasts catch up with them in the form of the Polish mafia.
This Christening has two separate and meaningful manifestations and is a deeply moving and soul stirring film experience.
This film is not part of the Official Selection.
"Cerro Bayo"
This film from Argentina concerns a disconnected family as it convenes to care for the matriarch grandmother who is in a coma due to an unsuccessful suicide attempt. This coincides with the impending beginning of the ski season in the nearby Mt. Bayo.
A teenage granddaughter that wants to be a model, a grandson who only wants to go away to Spain, an aunt who wishes for the grandmother to hurry up and die so she can inherit some money, and a caring mother who is truly affected by her own mother’s certain demise.
These characters are not addressed with depth and skill enough for me to want to care about the resulting outcome.
