Director Meritxell Colell Aparicio crafts an introspective meditation on memory in her latest film, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. The work follows a Mexican sound artist on a journey through the Peruvian Amazon, where she documents indigenous languages and natural soundscapes while grappling with unresolved family tensions and childhood recollections. Through a sophisticated blend of 4K digital cinematography and Super 16mm footage, the film captures the distinct visual and emotional qualities of memory itself.
The protagonist, a Vienna-based sound recordist named Adela, travels with a local guide through remote rainforest regions, ostensibly focused on preserving endangered languages. However, her work abroad serves as backdrop for deeper psychological exploration, as audio cues and sensory experiences trigger vivid flashbacks to her formative years in Mexico. Interwoven throughout are scenes from her childhood, shot on Super 16mm, depicting relationships with her grandparents—both researchers influenced by trauma from the Spanish Civil War—and her profound bond with the family’s housekeeper.
Aparicio eschews straightforward narrative resolution, instead prioritizing an experiential approach that mirrors the protagonist’s own internal wanderings. The film’s thoughtful pacing and attentive sound design underscore how language and environment shape consciousness and emotional memory. While some thematic elements remain deliberately unresolved, the director’s nuanced exploration of generational inheritance and personal sacrifice suggests potential resonance with arthouse audiences seeking contemplative cinema.
Originally reported by Variety →
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