El Violin (NC)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Francisco Vargas's first feature, shown at Cannes two years ago, is a haunting beauty, a story of guerrilla resistance in Mexico that slowly gathers the force of myth. A remote village is seized by the military, who torture certain campesinos in order to discover the whereabouts of an ammunition cache. A humble musician, Genaro (Gerardo Taracena), tries to reach his kidnapped wife and child, while his aged father Don Plutarco (Angel Tavira), entertaining the army captain (Dagoberto Gama) with his violin-playing, is secretly plotting to recover the weapons for the resistance.
Shot in high-contrast monochrome, the film gradually unveils itself as a parable of exploitation: Don Plutarco, having gently explained the human capacity for evil to his young grandson, is later seen signing his livelihood away for the pitiful price of a mule. Tavira is astonishing in the role of the old man, his face an evocative record of the hardship and courage of a people's struggle. A terrific debut by Vargas, who wrote, directed and produced.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments