Valentina or the Serenity

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Mexican filmmaker Ángeles Cruz returns to her Indigenous community of Villa Guadalupe for her second feature film, a tenderly poignant tale of loss inspired by her own childhood.

Valentina's life is shattered when her beloved father drowns in a nearby river. Refusing to accept the body at the funeral as his, Valentina becomes convinced he's still alive and will return home.

Her conviction deepens when she accidentally falls into the same river and hears his voice speaking in Mixtec, a language she's never learned. Valentina's unwavering belief affects her grieving family and begins to impact her schoolwork as she waits by the river for another message, enlisting her friend Pedro to teach her Mixtec.

An exploration of love and mortality from a child's perspective, "Valentina or the Serenity" is ultimately an uplifting ode to life.

“A refreshing take on death and grief by an industry mostly focused on the violent cartel-related deaths that affect the country.” — Aldo Álvareztostado, International Cinephile Society

"Indigenous Mexican filmmaker Ángeles Cruz (SIFF 2021’s Nudo Mixteco) explores our complex relationship with loss through the eyes of a young Mixtecan girl who, in her heart, refuses to believe her recently deceased father has truly left this earthly realm." — Hebe Tabachnik, Seattle International Film Festival

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Main credits

Cruz, Ángeles (film director)
Cruz, Ángeles (screenwriter)
Cruz, Ángeles (film producer)
Ahumada, Isis (film producer)
Ahuja Aparicio, Danae (actor)
Bravo, Myriam (actor)
Mendoza Sanchéz, Alexander Gadiel (actor)

Other credits

Cinematography, Carlos Correa R.; editing, Felipe Gómez; music, Alejandra Hernández, Ruben Luengas.

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Keywords

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