Although it might seem like male directors stand at the forefront of Mexican cinema right now — look at recent Oscar winners such as Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, and Alejandro González Iñárritu — it’s a new wave of female filmmakers who are actually the ones to watch.
Tatiana Huezo (“The Echo”), Fernanda Valadez (“Identifying Features”), and Issa López all shine bright, yet Lila Avilés (“The Chambermaid”) might be the first to come close to Oscar success of her own with “Tótem,” which was shortlisted at this year’s Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. While Avilés’ acclaimed debut followed a maid working to bring structure and order to empty, uninhabited spaces, her follow-up feature is teeming with life, even if the subject matter might not lend itself to that at first glance.
“Tótem” begins with seven-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes) and her mother, Lucia (Lazua Larios), laughing together in a public bathroom.
Tatiana Huezo (“The Echo”), Fernanda Valadez (“Identifying Features”), and Issa López all shine bright, yet Lila Avilés (“The Chambermaid”) might be the first to come close to Oscar success of her own with “Tótem,” which was shortlisted at this year’s Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. While Avilés’ acclaimed debut followed a maid working to bring structure and order to empty, uninhabited spaces, her follow-up feature is teeming with life, even if the subject matter might not lend itself to that at first glance.
“Tótem” begins with seven-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes) and her mother, Lucia (Lazua Larios), laughing together in a public bathroom.
- 1/29/2024
- by David Opie
- Indiewire
Tótem, Mexico’s submission for this year’s Oscars, drops a bomb on you before the opening credits have even rolled. A mother, Lucia (Iazua Larios) and her daughter, Sol (Naíma Sentíes, luminescent), are goofing around in a public restroom. The seven-year-old girl is sitting on a toilet, unable — or maybe she’s simply refusing — to heed nature’s call. Tired of waiting for her to finish up, Mom ends up peeing in the sink, to the sound of much mutual laughter. The kid tries on a giant, curly, rainbow-colored wig.
- 1/28/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
"A luminous and soul-nourishing microcosm." Janus Films + Sideshow have revealed an official US trailer for an acclaimed Mexican drama titled Tótem. It initially premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, one of the few great films at the festival that should've won the top prize. Mexican director Lila Avilés's film Totem is about a family getting ready for a birthday party, told through the eyes of a young girl. Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather's home, helping with the preparations for a surprise party for her ailing father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family's foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence. It's a wonderfully soulful, touching film about family and life on this planet - don't skip over this one. The ensemble cast features Naíma Sentíes, Monserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, Teresita Sánchez,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"When will the world end?" An early promo trailer has debuted for an acclaimed indie film from Mexico titled Tótem, one of the few truly excellent films from the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year. It should've won the Golden Bear, in my opinion, but they skipped over this one entirely. Mexican director Lila Avilés’s Berlinale Competition film Totem is about a family getting ready for a birthday party, told through the eyes of a young girl. Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather's home, helping with the preparations for a surprise party for her ailing father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family's foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence. It's a wonderfully soulful, touching film about family and life on this planet. With Naíma Sentíes, Monserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, Teresita Sánchez, Mateo García Elizondo,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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