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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.

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