El Sur

A thoughtfully meditative film, that takes its time exploring the evolving nature of the relationships we form, especially in the way our perceptions of those we once idolized shift over time. We often view our parents as being perfect, that they could never do wrong, but as we grow and mature over time we start to see how reality fractures this idealized image we formed of them, and within it, we realize just how flawed they are, it's a loss of innocence, if you will. And sometimes, no matter how hard we try to, we may never really understand them. I think this is conveyed well through Estrella, who recounts her childhood with her father, Agustin, who is described to be this man who can naturally perform miracles. It really does a good job of mirroring how many of us can view our parents. But I think this is often done (in my experience at least) because we truly do NOT know them, we fill in the gaps with what we want to be so desperately true, painting this perfect picture that makes sense to us. Of course, it's a bit naive, but can we fault ourselves for trying to make sense of someone we love who is so shrouded in mystery? Throughout the film, Agustin's unfaithfulness and negligence begin to reveal itself, the man she revered so much. The film never even fully explains Agustin or reveals his past. Even by the end of the film, after his departure, Estrella seemingly still searches and yearns to understand her father, as she still holds onto his possessions and finally sets out for El Sur, where her father is from. Just as often we may never fully understand the people we long to know most yet we still yearn for them so much.