Tremors

Following on from his Berlinale prize-winning Ixcanul in 2015, Guatemalan writer-director Jayro Bustamante presents his second and highly personal feature which recently premiered in the Panorama section of this year’s Berlinale.

Fortysomething Pablo (Juan Pablo Olyslager) is a scion of a staid upper-class family. Married to the beautiful, younger Isa (Diane Bathen), he is the father of two young children and has a well-paid job in a financial consultancy. But Pablo is ready to reveal a long-held secret, one which will have intense ramifications that will reverberate beyond his own family and out into his community: he is in love with another man. As a consequence of his honesty, Pablo is cruelly dismissed from his job and shunned by his family, until he is finally forced to make the ultimate choice.

Bustamante’s moody second feature demands to be seen on the big screen with truly affecting visuals, performances and atmosphere. The lush, rich cinematography and palate of hues emphasize an oppressively damp side of Guatemala which perfectly complements what is uncovered to be a profoundly repressive society.