Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Alejandro Fernández Almendras’ debut feature is a psychological thriller in a class of its own which will not be easily forgotten.
Jorge (Daniel Candia, Hidden in the Woods) is a mild-mannered, diabetic forest guard who is unfairly targeted by local thug Kalule, (played by a terrifying Daniel Antivillo). When Jorge’s son decides to confront Kalule, he is shot and sent to hospital, while Kalule is sentenced to 18 months in prison. However, two years later, Kalule has far from forgotten the family which sent him to jail, and not being daunted or deterred by a restraining order issued by police, he proceeds to further torment the most vulnerable of the family members. Unable to maintain his gentle nature any longer, the negligence of the authorities combined with Jorge’s responsibility to his family force him to take matters into his own hands, without anticipating the consequences.
Impressive performances combined with what The Guardian labelled as “terrific tension”, results in a gripping and profoundly thought-provoking film, affirming the statement that this film has many more awards to come from around the world.
