It is a celebration of life and death: in the Mexican film “Tótem” a seven-year-old girl accompanies the preparations for a special celebration. It’s her father’s birthday, but he’s so sick that it will probably be his last. While her mother is still away and her aunts and nieces are busy making preparations, little Sol wanders around the house. She listens to the adults’ conversations, sees the cat, strokes the dog and watches ants crawling across wallpaper or grasshoppers living in potted plants.
An expulsion of ghosts also takes place; a shaman wants to drive away the evil spirits in the house with a burning bread roll. That’s funny, in other scenes the film is loving, melancholic or sensual. “Tótem” was screened in competition at the Berlinale in February and is set to enter Mexico’s Oscar race for best foreign language film next year. Lila Avilés’ film will be released in German cinemas at the beginning of November, and on October 16th the director will come to Munich and personally introduce it to the audience in the Theatiner cinema.
Tótem, MEX/DK/F 2023, directed by Lila Avilés, Mon., Oct. 16, 8 p.m., Theatine, Theatinerstr. 32