“Tótem” – The spiritual [MOVIE REVIEW]
Writer/director Lila Avilés has always been intrigued by the chaos of families, especially large Latin American families where boundaries are fluid and views of life are often contradictory. In “Tótem” she tells a story of family as seen through the eyes of seven-year-old Sol. It is a significant day in the life of young Sol as she is dropped off by her mother at the home of her grandfather. This large, chaotic family of brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles are in the midst of preparing a birthday party for Sol’s father Ton. Confused and lost in the morass of her elders, Sol just wants to see her father. She knows he’s ill although everyone, especially her mother, brushes off her concerns. Still, no one will let her see him so she settles into the havoc of the preparations, wandering aimlessly, watching as the adults break into factions, all relating to her missing father. Her father isn’t missing but he is gone. Dying, each of his sisters and brothers are in different stages of denial as manifested by their actions and whispered discussions. As the children play, the adults each find ways to deal with the oncoming death of Ton. One sister melts down over her…
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