El Fulgor

A symphony of reality and delusion: transcending all genres, 'El Fulgor' entangles local traditions and human desires in Argentinian carnival.

No word fits Martín Farina's frenzy of sound, image, color and movement better than this one: composition. The Argentine filmmaker authored every aspect of the film himself – directing, writing, cinematography, editing, sound design. What begins quietly and almost classically as a documentary on a ranch in the pampas soon develops into an emotional panorama that swirls in all directions, is free of dialog and is carried along by fluctuating film music. Profound questions about the relationship between man and animal, violence and desire are evoked. Each image is a surprise: documentary shots alternate with dream scenes, black and white meets color. And, at the same time, we are told the love story between a dancer and a gaucho. Farina's cinema has affinities with the films of Terrence Malick and Carlos Reygadas, but it’s completely sui generis and absolutely overwhelming.

Director