La Aldea Maldita

Overview

Carlos Amorales’ film La aldea maldita (The Cursed Village) (2017) narrates the story of a family of migrants who are lynched as they reach a strange town. In this fantastical village, a puppeteer manipulates the characters in a kind of shadow play that seems to be activated by musicians and actors. The film poses multiple political questions about justice, self-defense, politics and migration. Amorales’ visual vocabulary confronts us with these topics as he suggests that our vision of the world is shaped by pre-existing languages and social codes.