Celebrating life, not the afterlife, Tomás Gómez Bustillo’s feature film debut Chronicles of a Wandering Saint mixes folklore, religion, and magic in a delightful film set in rural Argentina.
An older woman, pious and desperate to ensure her spot in heaven when it is her turn to leave this mortal life, does whatever is in her power to earn heavenly credits. Rita Lopez (a magnificently understated Monica Villa) cleans the village church, prays conscientiously, and sings in the small choir, hoping that, when her time is up, God will look down on this little corner of rural Argentina and make space for her with Him. Her golden ticket would be secured, she thinks, if she could manufacture a miracle for the village church. Enlisting the assistance of her devoted husband Norberto (Horacio Marassi) – whose adoration she carelessly undervalues – she puts her plan into action.
The people of the village live a simple life, but with the church at the centre of the community (particularly for the women), and the rituals of religion ever-present, it seems as though they spend more time thinking about the next life, rather than making the most of this one. Norberto takes pleasure in seeing clothes dancing in the breeze as they dry on the line outside, tries valiantly to learn to play the guitar, and wants to take Rita away for their wedding anniversary, but she belittles his attempts to find joy in the moment as she avidly searches online for the means with which she will secure her passage to heaven.
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is not a serious or dark story, however. Writer/ director Tomás Gómez Bustillo imbues Rita’s quest with an amiable absurdity. He may be poking fun at religion but he does it gently and with the understanding of one who appreciates its importance to those who believe. But the audience never loses sight of the fact that finding wonder and joy in the here and now is perhaps more important than banking credits for the afterlife.
To touch on how this is conveyed would involve spoiling the rest of the story – because not quite halfway through the film, things take an unexpected turn and Rita finds herself in unusual circumstances, with some important decisions to make.
Beautifully shot, and with care for his characters not disdain for their beliefs, Bustillo explores what it means to be alive, and suggests that we should remember not to take the ordinary for granted.
In creating Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, Bustillo has drawn on his own youthful experiences of carrying out missionary work in villages similar to Rita’s, and the mix of folklore, superstition, religion, and even magical realism results in a delightful balance of tragedy, comedy and reality. It’s divine!
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint opens at IFC Centre NYC on 28 June, at Lumiere Cinema LA on 5 July, at Grand Illusion in Seattle on 6 July, and at The Roxie SF on 19 July, with other cities to follow.
Celebrating life, not the afterlife, Tomás Gómez Bustillo’s feature film debut Chronicles of a Wandering Saint mixes folklore, religion, and magic in a delightful film set in rural Argentina.
An older woman, pious and desperate to ensure her spot in heaven when it is her turn to leave this mortal life, does whatever is in her power to earn heavenly credits. Rita Lopez (a magnificently understated Monica Villa) cleans the village church, prays conscientiously, and sings in the small choir, hoping that, when her time is up, God will look down on this little corner of rural Argentina and make space for her with Him. Her golden ticket would be secured, she thinks, if she could manufacture a miracle for the village church. Enlisting the assistance of her devoted husband Norberto (Horacio Marassi) – whose adoration she carelessly undervalues – she puts her plan into action.
The people of the village live a simple life, but with the church at the centre of the community (particularly for the women), and the rituals of religion ever-present, it seems as though they spend more time thinking about the next life, rather than making the most of this one. Norberto takes pleasure in seeing clothes dancing in the breeze as they dry on the line outside, tries valiantly to learn to play the guitar, and wants to take Rita away for their wedding anniversary, but she belittles his attempts to find joy in the moment as she avidly searches online for the means with which she will secure her passage to heaven.
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is not a serious or dark story, however. Writer/ director Tomás Gómez Bustillo imbues Rita’s quest with an amiable absurdity. He may be poking fun at religion but he does it gently and with the understanding of one who appreciates its importance to those who believe. But the audience never loses sight of the fact that finding wonder and joy in the here and now is perhaps more important than banking credits for the afterlife.
To touch on how this is conveyed would involve spoiling the rest of the story – because not quite halfway through the film, things take an unexpected turn and Rita finds herself in unusual circumstances, with some important decisions to make.
Beautifully shot, and with care for his characters not disdain for their beliefs, Bustillo explores what it means to be alive, and suggests that we should remember not to take the ordinary for granted.
In creating Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, Bustillo has drawn on his own youthful experiences of carrying out missionary work in villages similar to Rita’s, and the mix of folklore, superstition, religion, and even magical realism results in a delightful balance of tragedy, comedy and reality. It’s divine!
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint opens at IFC Centre NYC on 28 June, at Lumiere Cinema LA on 5 July, at Grand Illusion in Seattle on 6 July, and at The Roxie SF on 19 July, with other cities to follow.
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