
Lifebegins,lifeends.Atitlesoellipticthatitisreducedtoalawofnature,stripping<br/> familymisfortuneofitstragicnature.Deathisaprivatetragedy.Howcanyou<br/> capturethehorrorofitsirrationality?RafaelPalacioIllingworthisthedirectorof<br/> severalcomedydramasincludingBetweenUs(2016)andMacho(2009).Here,he<br/> signsafeaturefilmthatisatonceintimate,honestandgenerous,basedonthe<br/> tragedythatshookhisownlife.Byweavingpersonalmaterial,gatheredovertime,<br/> intoafictionalnarrative,hegoesbeyondapurelyautobiographicalframework,<br/> constantlyplayingwithitscodes.<br/> RafaelPalacioIllingworthforgesanalterego,adoppelgängerandafamily<br/> reflection.Theimagesofradiant,everydayhappinessarematchedbyafragmented<br/> narrativethatcondensesadescentintohell,revealingpain.Fictionplaysarole:<br/> thatofpreservingtheseimagesofthishappiness.Hethusensuresthememories<br/> remainintact,instillingthemwithasenseofgrace.Thedramatizationofhisplay<br/> replacesthemutedbrutalityofreallife.Here,thedirector’sbodymustwithstand.<br/> Inthefaceofillness.Againstdespair.There,hischaracter’sbody,agauchofromthe<br/> plainsofArgentina,self-inflictsthehenceforthunbearableviolenceofaworldand<br/> consecratesthefictionalspaceasacatharsis.<br/> Intertwiningdifferentregimesinthreemovements,RafaelPalacioIllingworth<br/> courageouslyexposeshimselfonseverallevels.Theduplicationbecomesa<br/> dialogue.Hestageshisownfamilytobetterrevealthecontoursofdramaasa<br/> genre,throughasystemofdialoguebetweenfictionandthemechanismsofits<br/> production:sourcesofinspiration,musicalscore,charactersandmotifs,peaksand<br/> climaxes…Itisnottheevidenceofatragedythatisthusrevealed,butthevibrant<br/> meetingofartandlife.(ClaireLasolle)
