KOCHI: Forensic anthropologist, Ernesto analyses skeletons recovered from municipal cemeteries to investigate the disappearance of his father, a guerrilla fighter. His father went missing in the early 1980s during the Guatemalan genocide also known as the Silent Holocaust. The 78-minute Spanish movie Nuestras Madres or Our Mothers tracks Ernesto’s quest while also revolving around the story of women whose husbands went missing during the period. Directed by Cesar Diaz, the movie, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, was screened to a full house at the 24th IFFK at Tagore theatre on Monday.
The characters are stoic and display little emotion. Without melodrama, the director has portrayed the harassment faced by the women during the war. They were raped and tortured, their testimonies present the horrors of what transpired.
The first frame begins with a top angle portraying a skeleton on the table, Ernesto examines the skeletons to determine the compensation to be given to the families. Torn between his professional and personal life, adament to find his father’s body, Ernesto is unable to work properly. The movie portrays the bond between him and his mother who suffered great misery.
Cesar Diaz was presented with the Camera d’Or award at Cannes. The movie has also been selected for the category of ‘Best International Feature Film’ by the Oscar Academy.