Time: 119 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Offensive language
Cast:
Naíma Sentíes as Sol
Montserrat Marañón as Nuri
Marisol Gasé as Alejandra
Saori Gurza as Esther
Director: Lila Avilés

I decided to watch Tótem as it was being shown by my local film society. I knew basically nothing about the movie so went into it blind, and it was a pleasant surprise.

Tótem is about a family having a party for someone while coping with their imminent loss. We see the ordinary day in the life of this family and their bonds, and it shows the messiness and chaos and drama of family gatherings which felt natural and sincere. We jump around to seeing multiple perspectives within the family, but it mainly shines whenever it follows its 7 year old protagonist Sol. Tótem does really well at capturing the perspective of a child in such a situation, and even within this limited viewpoint, you (and her) can still tell that something is going on and we see her growing awareness. It’s a beautiful, intimate yet melancholic story with an underlying sadness throughout, and it culminates in a devastating ending.

Lila Avilés’s direction is great. The cinematography is great, and she particularly does really well at capturing the messiness and chaos seen in family gatherings.

Tótem is a heartfelt, beautiful, intimate, bittersweet and excellently crafted drama.