2015

Described by writer-director Pablo Fendrik as a “Mesopotamian Western,” El Ardor stars Gael García Bernal as Kaí, a mysterious shaman who emerges from the Río Paraná to defend a clan of tobacco farmers against a band of cold-blooded land-grabbers. But this is no ordinary Western. Filmed on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, near the border of Brazil and Argentina, the lush, claustrophobic jungle with its birds, insects and prowling animals becomes as much a part of the story as the misfortunes of its characters.

Rodolfo and Beatriz are the parents of teenagers Jessica and Juan. Together they form a perfect dysfunctional family. Rodolfo leaves for work every morning, but actually he’s unemployed. Beatriz, worrying that she is looking older, has a flirtation with her buff gym trainer. Jessica finds herself in a love triangle with her boyfriend and her best friend. And, Juan’s girlfriend has a little surprise for him. This is the life of an ordinary middle-class family in Tijuana. While living under the same roof, they scurry about their days, trying to hide their secrets from one another.

After meeting at a party, Luciana and Pedro... embark on a spur of the moment journey together that takes them to the forest. As they explore the beauty in the nature that surrounds them, they camp out under the stars, go on hikes, indulge in the passions of their encounter, and discuss their personal beliefs surrounding love, obligations, and attraction.

How far will you go to protect your family? Jorge is a peaceful, hard-working man who seeks a simple, quiet life for himself and his family. One day, he is mugged and humiliated by a gang of thugs led by Kalule, a delinquent from his neighbourhood. This event infuriates his son as much for Jorge’s meek acceptance as for the act itself. The son, looking for retribution, ends up getting himself shot. Kalule is sent to jail and when he gets out 18 months later, begins a campaign of terror against Jorge and his family.

Best friends Martin and Tomaz set out for a weekend together to southern Brazil that will change their relationship forever. For both of them, the brief excursion back to this coastal town where Martin’s family is from becomes a journey into themselves. Seashore is a wander through the borderlands between love and friendship, exploring sexual orientation and personal identity. The outstanding camerawork picks up on the protagonists’ complex emotional states in the same way as the soundtrack captures the roaring of the sea: gentle and powerful in equal measure.