THE “WORLD” OPINION – NOT TO BE MISSED
What if we filmed a party and its preparations from the point of view of a child who doesn’t understand everything about life or the language of adults? What details would the camera focus on, how would the little girl occupy herself while waiting for the evening, for the lights to come on, for her friends to come, for her seriously ill father to finally appear? All these questions irrigate the fickle staging of a Totemthe second feature film by Mexican director Lila Avilés, born in 1982 – her first “feature film”, chambermaid (2018), was inspired by Sophie Calle’s diary, The hotel (Ed. de l’Etoile, 1984).
During a slightly bizarre day, Sol (Naima Senties), a 7-year-old girl, understands that her father, Tona (Mateo Garcia Elizondo), whose birthday we are celebrating, will soon die. In his thirties, he suffers from what we suspect is cancer. The suspense, and this is the strength of the device, lies in these hours that precede the evening and pass through Sol’s heart. The filmmaker captures them in a tight frame (four out of three), as close as possible to the child’s face and the doubts that creep into her.
Silence and gentleness
Almost everything takes place in the family home. Tona, a painter, completely emaciated, lives in seclusion in a room. The rest of the family is busy, baking a cake, vacuuming… Sol and his mother arrived in the morning, by car – after a gratin opening scene in the public toilets, on the way, the little one stuck to the bowl, the mother can’t wait for her turn.
Selected in competition at the Berlinale in 2023, Totem it is raw, vivid, never sinister. Once in the house, the child does not know where to sit, like a bulky package in the midst of excitement. Congratulations on her curly clown wig – because the little one put on a show for her daddy. It’s nearby, behind a partition, but Sol can’t see it. The viewer, yes: we see Tona, body of Christ, beautiful face eaten by the beard, in her attempts to get up, to take a shower. Beautiful moments of peace and gentleness with a loved one (Teresa Sanchez) taking care of her.
Lila Avilés films the boredom, this time passing too slowly for the little girl. We sneak close to the ground, under the table, where they take refuge, then among the sofa cushions that the little girl has rearranged to make a shelter. Another world, by the half-open French window, through which the air passes… and the little creatures.
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