Valentina o la serenidad [Valentina or Serenity]

Meet Valentina: she’s nine years old, and when she dons a rag as a cape, her imagination transforms her into a superhero with powers over the wind, the earth and the trees. But an unexpected event devastates her: her father dies in an accident, and she must deal with his absence, comprehend death and relearn how to live the life that follows. After the wonderful Nudo mixteco (¡Viva! 2020), Ángeles Cruz’s second feature returns to her community in Villa Guadalupe Victoria, Oaxaca, taking inspiration from her own experience of loss at this tender age. The Mexican filmmaker delves into the forest to create a moving story of the curative power of love overcoming grief, as Valentina seeks to recover her father between the depths of the river and the infinity of the stars.

The screening on Wed 17 Apr will be introduced by Dr Carmen Herrero, Manchester Metropolitan University.