festival program / Knight Marimbas Award

La Llorona

About

Writer-Director Jayro Bustamante has become one of the premiere voices in Latin American cinema since his debut feature Ixcanul shook the festival world and became Guatemala's official Oscar submission. His powerful sophomore film, Tremors, tackled homophobia in Central America and confirmed his status as an auteur filmmaker. His latest film, La Llorona continues to build on his great body of work.

With the words "If you cry, I'll kill you" ringing in their ears, Alma and her sons are murdered in Guatemala's armed conflict. Thirty years later, a criminal case is brought against Enrique, a retired general who oversaw the genocide. But he's acquitted through a mistrial and the spirit of La Llorona is unleashed to wander the world like a lost soul amongst the living. At night, Enrique starts to hear her wailing. His wife and daughter believe he's having bouts of Alzheimer's-related dementia. Little could they suspect that their new housekeeper, Alma, is there to mete out the vengeance the trial did not.

Mixing tragic Guatemalan history with Latin American legend, La Llorona elevates an old story to new heights of poignancy and relevance.

This screening is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and sponsored by FlixLatino, ViendoMovies Available with Xfinity and HBO.

Event Dates

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SilverSpot Cinema 12

Director Bio

Jayro Bustamante is an award-winning director from Guatemala. He directed Ixcanul (15), which won the Berlinale's Silver Bear and was Guatemala's Official Submission to the 88th Academy Awards; and Tremors , which premiered at the Berlinale and played at the 2019 Miami Film Festival.

Cast & Credits

  • Director(s)
    Jayro Bustamante
  • Producer(s)
    Jayro Bustamante, Gustavo Matheu
  • Screenwriter(s)
    Jayro Bustamante
  • Cinematographer(s)
    Nicolás Wong
  • Composer
    Pascual Reyes
  • Cast
    María Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kenéfic, Julio Diaz, María Telón, Juan Pablo Olyslager, Ayla-Elea Hurtado

Film Info

  • Year
    2019
  • Category
  • Original Title
    La Llorona
  • Country
    Guatemala, France
  • Run-Time
    97 min
  • Language
    Spanish, Kaqchikel
  • Subtitles
    English

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