Silent Light

Not even the virtuous Mennonite (of German origin) society in Mexico stand above the ramifications of desire; the family father Johan struggles with his concience and with God as he falls for another woman, in this painfully beautiful exploration of love and forgiveness. With amateurs in nearly every part and a patient and insistent camera, Reygadas creates something as unlikely as a minimalist melodrama. The spiritual theme and modelling with light is a homage to Dreyer, while the portrait of the devout and hardworking Mennonites is dignified, original and exotic. mm