The Swamp [Fiction]
Lucrecia Martel
Argentina, Spain, France | 2001 | 103 min
Language : Spanish
Subtitles : English, French
In Salta, Northern Argentina, Mecha and her family’s holiday is coming to an end under the relentless February heat. Time becomes distended, punctuated by naps around the stagnant water of the pool, visits from cousins and the children playing war in the jungle. A muted tension and a series of incidents slowly begin to disrupt the family order.
Minimum legal age 12 years, recommended 16 years and over
⇨The film is preceded by the Guest of Honour Ceremony where Lucrecia Martel will receive the Prize of Honour from director Céline Sciamma.
Lucrecia Martel sets the scene for her family tragedy in the marshlands of Northern Argentina, near her home town of Salta. Under the relentless February heat, fifty-something Mecha spends her days by the pool and in her dark bedroom, sipping on Sauvignon with ice. The children fill their days with drawn-out naps, flirting games and playing war in the jungle. However, in spite of the holidays and a time that seems to stand still, an oppressive, at times mystical tension hovers over the family, seeming to presage the worst. La ciénaga, the filmmaker’s first fiction feature, stands out through its formal originality and the dense material it deploys. With her cast of elusive characters and intrigues that are never really elucidated, Lucrecia Martel highlights the racism and withdrawal of a decaying social class. Through its evocative power and its uses of suspense, the film keeps us on the edge of our seats until its unavoidable dénouement.
Alice Fuchs
⇨The film is preceded by the Guest of Honour Ceremony where Lucrecia Martel will receive the Prize of Honour from director Céline Sciamma.
