Starting on the confined space of a fixed, unbroken four minute opening take of two half-asleep children being placed in the family station wagon, Lucia and her younger brother look on from the back seat as mom and dad do their best to talk around the real reason for the impromptu road trip. To liven things up, their father straps the two ecstatic siblings to the car’s roof rack for a memorable spin through the Chilean countryside. Looking ahead, they see nothing but bright openness, while a quick glance downward reveals an inverted reflection of two former happily-marrieds at an irreconcilable impasse. It’s just one example of how director Dominga Sotomayor’s powerful debut feature is fortified by cinematographer Bárbara Álvarez’s exacting camera placement. For once, a story about the dissolution of a marriage that relies on the power of images, not quibbling dialog, to advance the drama. Don’t miss this movie! (2012) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.