Archive of films Jauja / Jauja

Argentina / USA / Netherlands / Denmark / France / Mexico / Germany
2014, 108 min

Section: Another View
Year: 2014

A Danish engineer tries to find his 15-year-old daughter, who has run off into the Patagonian wilderness with her lover. Thanks to a captivating style and contemplative mood that avoids traditional standards of cinematic aesthetics, this desperate odyssey through an inhospitable land becomes a spiritual experience that strongly resonated at this year’s festival in Cannes.

Synopsis

In the late 19th century, a Danish engineer travels with his 15-year-old-daughter to the wilderness of Patagonia in the service of the Argentine army as part of its campaign to civilize the landscape and eradicate the defiant native population. One night, however, the young girl and her lover run off in search of a better life beyond the wasteland. The father sets out in pursuit, desperate to find his daughter alive in this inhospitable environment. However, his journey soon becomes an existential experience that extends beyond both time and space. Shot in an old image format, Alonso’s film is more plot-based than his previous work, but still retains a sense of defiance towards standard expectations as it deftly avoids any literal interpretations. According to one of the first responses, it is a "metaphysical road movie in which origin and destination are less important than the journey itself.”

About the director

Lisandro Alonso (b. 1975, Buenos Aires) is one of Argentina’s most remarkable contemporary directors. His films often betray a unique cinematic aesthetic that is radically different from today’s plot-driven films. Instead, Alonso builds many of his films on silent characters wandering aimlessly through a barren landscape. They sometimes have the feel of anthropological documentaries. Freedom (La libertad, 2001) and The Dead (Los muertos, 2004) were shown at Karlovy Vary, with the second winning the Independent Camera Award in the Forum of Independents. His subsequent films Fantasma (2006) and Liverpool (2008) were shown at Cannes as part of the Directors’ Fortnight. His most recent feature film, Jauja, was screened this year as part of Cannes’ Un certain regard.

Contacts

Mantarraya NDM
Sultepec 47 Col. H. Condesa C.P., 06170, Mexico City
Mexico
Tel: +525 552 739 307
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.mantarraya.com

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About the film

Color, DCP

Section:	Another View

Director:	Lisandro Alonso
Screenplay:	Lisandro Alonso, Fabian Casas
Dir. of Photography:	Timo Salminen
Music:	Viggo Mortensen, Buckethead
Editor:	Natalia López, Gonzalo del Val
Producer:	Lisandro Alonso, Micaela Buye
Production:	4L
Coproduction:	Perceval Pictures, Fortuna Films, Les Films du Worso, Mantarraya, Massive, Kamoli Films, The Match Factory, Wanka
Cast:	Viggo Mortensen, Ghita Nørby, Vilbjørk Mallin Agger
Contact:	Mantarraya NDM