Tótem (film)

Tótem is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Lila Avilés. The film depicts the story of Seven-year-old Sol, who is spending the day at her grandfather's home, for a surprise party for Sol's father, Tonatiuh. As daylight fades, Sol comes to understand that her world is about to change dramatically.[1] It is selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 20 February 2023.[2] It is a co-production between Mexico, Denmark and France.

Tótem
Berlinale release poster
Directed byLila Avilés
Screenplay byLila Avilés
Produced byLila Avilés
Tatiana Graullera
Louise Riousse
Starring
  • Naíma Sentíes
  • Monserrat Marañon
  • Marisol Gasé
  • Saori Gurza
CinematographyDiego Tenorio
Edited byOmar Guzmán
Music byThomas Becka
Production
companies
  • Limerencia Films
  • Laterna Film
  • Paloma Productions
Distributed byAlpha Violet
Release date
Running time
95 minutes
Countries
  • Mexico
  • Denmark
  • France
LanguageSpanish

The film was selected as the Mexican entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[3]

Synopsis

Sol, a seven-year-old girl goes to her grandfather's home, where her aunts Nuri and Alejandra are throwing a surprise birthday party for her father. Probably his last, so in a sense it is also a farewell ceremony. With the onset of dusk an unfamiliar and unrestraint atmosphere takes over, breaking the family bonds. For Sol the world is about to change as she learns, the essence of letting go and feel of the breath of life.

Cast
Crew and cast of Totem at the Berlin Film Festival 2023
  • Naíma Sentíes as Sol
  • Montserrat Marañón as Nuri
  • Marisol Gasé as Alejandra
  • Saori Gurza as Esther
  • Teresita Sánchez as Cruz
  • Mateo García Elizondo as Tonatiuh
  • Juan Francisco Maldonado as Napo
  • Iazua Larios as Lucía
  • Alberto Amador as Roberto

Production

On 7 July 2020, it was reported that Lila Avilés is planning for her new film titled as Tótem.[4] The film was also among five upcoming feature projects to receive grant of €53,000 (US$60,000) from the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF), administered by the International Film Festival Rotterdam.[5]

Tótem is produced by Limerencia Films and Laterna, in co-production with Danish firm Paloma Productions and France's Alpha Violet Production, who are also distributors. It is the second feature film of Lila Avilés after The Chambermaid. Naíma Sentíes as Sol, Montserrat Marañon as Nuri, Marisol Gasé as Alejandrato and Mateo García Elizondo as Sol's father Tonatiuh are cast in main roles.[6]

Release

The film had its world premiere on 20 February 2023 at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. In April it competed in the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival,[7] where it won the Firebird Award for the best film in Young Cinema Competition World category.[8] It was invited to Horizons section of 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was screened on 30 June 2023.[9] It was also invited to the 27th Lima Film Festival in Competition fiction section, where it was screened on August 11, 2023,[10] and won the Best Picture award in the section.[11] It will also be screened at the 2023 Atlantic International Film Festival in World Cinema section on 17 September 2023.[12] The film also made it to 'Latin Horizons' section of the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival to be held from 22 to 30 September 2023.[13] The film competed at the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival in 'International Narrative Competition' for Best International Narrative Feature award and had screening on September 22.[14]

In October, the film was invited to the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival in 'Showcase' section and was screened on 1 October;[15] then it was screened at the 2023 Festival du nouveau cinéma in International Panorama on 7 October;[16] and at 2023 BFI London Film Festival in 'Strand' section under 'Love' theme on 9 October.[17] It competed in the Chicago International Film Festival in International Feature Competition and had screening on 14 October;[18] later on 20 October, it was screened at the Vienna International Film Festival in Features section.[19] It was also selected in 20th Latin Beat Film Festival in 36th Tokyo International Film Festival and will be screened on 27 October 2023.[20][21]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 95% based on 22 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10.[22] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on 8 reviews, indicating "Universal Acclaim".[23]

Stephen Saito for Moveable Fest wrote in review that "A thrillingly vital family portrait about a clan that does its very best to celebrate someone they’re about to mourn.[24] Jonathan Romney reviewing for Screen International wrote, "This thematically rich piece offers a set of vivid character studies, while musing on life, death and time – largely from a child’s perspective."[25] Marina Ashioti writing in Little White Lies stated, "A tender spirit of warmth and levity permeates the screen, sustaining a buoyancy that keeps the film from sinking into mawkish waters."[26] Fabien Lemercier reviewing for Cineuropa praised the film and wrote, "It’s a film full of life and soul and a modestly deceptive work, for its significance is enormous."[27]

Accolades
Lila Avilés, the director with child actor Naíma Sentíes at Berlinale 2023
Award Date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2023 Golden Bear Tótem Nominated [28]
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Won [29]
Hong Kong International Film Festival 9 April 2023 Firebird Award Won [30]
Jerusalem Film Festival 23 July 2023 The Nechama Rivilin Award for Best International Film Nominated [31]
Best Director Lila Áviles Won [32]
Lima Film Festival 18 August 2023 Best Picture Tótem Won [11]
Best Cinematography Diego Tenorio Won
Melbourne International Film Festival 20 August 2023 Bright Horizons Award Tótem Nominated [33]
San Sebastián International Film Festival 30 September 2023 Horizons Award Nominated [13]
Calgary International Film Festival 1 October 2023 Best International Narrative Feature Nominated [14]
Athens International Film Festival 9 October 2023 Best Picture Nominated [34]
Chicago International Film Festival 22 October 2023 Gold Hugo Nominated [18]
Montclair Film Festival 29 October 2023 Fiction Feature Pending [35]

See also

References
  1. Avilés, Lila (11 February 2023). "Tótem". Cineuropa. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  2. Rosser, Michael (23 January 2023). "Berlin Film Festival reveals 2023 competition line-up". Screen Daily. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  3. Padilla, Greta (25 September 2023). "Habemus película: 'Tótem' de Lila Avilés representará a México en los Oscar 2024". Sopitas.com (in Spanish).
  4. Ejarque, Cristina (7 July 2020). "Lila Avilés prepares her new film Totem" [=Lila Avilés prepara su nueva película Totem]. Cine maldito (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  5. Rosser, Michael (7 July 2020). "Lila Avilés second feature among new Hubert Bals projects". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  6. Lemercier, Fabien (2 February 2023). "Alpha Violet to boast a Golden Bear candidate in Berlin". Cineuropa. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  7. Frater, Patrick (10 March 2023). "Hong Kong Film Festival Sets Trio of Local Films as Opening and Closing Titles". Variety. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  8. Shackleton, Liz (9 April 2023). "'Stonewalling' Wins Best Film And Best Actress At Hong Kong International Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  9. "57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: Horizons". Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  10. "Ficción" [Fiction: Totem]. 27 PUCP Lima Film Festival (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  11. "¡Estos son los ganadores del 27 Festival de Cine de Lima PUCP!". festivaldelima.com (in Spanish). 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  12. "2023 Atlantic International Film Festival: Schedule". Atlantic International Film Festival. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  13. Calnan, Ellie (3 August 2023). "San Sebastian's 2023 Horizontes Latinos line-up includes 'Totem', 'The Settlers'". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  14. "CIFF: Totem". Calgary International Film Festival. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  15. "Vancouver International Film Festival: Tótem". Vancouver International Film Festival. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  16. "International Panorama: Tótem". Festival du nouveau cinéma. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  17. Ntim, Zac (31 August 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas". Deadline. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  18. Kay, Jeremy (14 September 2023). "'Fallen Leaves', 'About Dry Grasses', 'La Chimera' among Chicago fest international line-up (exclusive)". Screendaily. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  19. "Vienna International Film Festival: Tótem". Vienna International Film Festival. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  20. Brzeski, Patrick (27 September 2023). "Tokyo Film Festival Aims to Boost Global Relevance With Bumper 2023 Edition". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  21. "36th Tokyo International Film Festival: Lineup". Tokyo International Film Festival. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  22. "Tótem (Drama 2023)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  23. "Tótem". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  24. Saito, Stephen (20 February 2023). "Berlinale 2023 Review: Lila Avilés' Spellbinding "Tótem" Puts a Hold On You". Moveable Fest. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  25. Romney, Jonathan (20 February 2023). "'Totem': Berlin Review". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  26. Ashioti, Marina (20 February 2023). "Tótem – first-look review". Little White Lies. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  27. Lemercier, Fabien (20 February 2023). "Review: Tótem". Cineuropa. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  28. Ramachandran, Naman; Vivarelli, Nick (23 January 2023). "Berlin Film Festival Reveals Competition Lineup (Updating Live)". Variety. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  29. Roxborough, Scott (25 February 2023). "Berlin: '20,000 Species of Bees,' 'Totem' Among Independent Jury Winners". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  30. Rosser, Michael (9 April 2023). "'Stonewalling', 'Totem' win top Hong Kong Firebird Awards". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  31. Brown, Hannah (28 June 2023). "2023 Jerusalem Film Fest announces international movie lineup". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  32. Goodfellow, Melanie (20 July 2023). "'Ama Gloria' and 'Daniel Auerbach' Scoop Top Prizes At 40th Jerusalem Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  33. George, Sandy (11 July 2023). "Melbourne Film Festival reveals competition line-up with 'Shayda' set as opening film". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  34. "International Competition". Athens International Film Festival. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  35. Moye, Clarence (29 September 2023). "Montclair Film Announces Complete 2023 Montclair Film Festival Program". Awards Daily. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
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