El Árbol rojo introduction
An accomplished debut feature set in Colombia, 1999, as armed conflict between guerrillas and paramilitaries escalates in rural areas. Eliécer, a middle-aged man leading a laidback life in his modest beachfront home, finds family ties and responsibilities thrust upon him with the arrival of a much younger half-sister, Esperanza. After their father’s recent death, and her mother’s long-ago departure, Eliécer is a reluctant temporary guardian for the youngster. On a mission to find Esperanza’s run-away mother, and in the company of Toño, a young boatman who dreams of becoming a boxing champion, the siblings embark on a spectacular but dangerous 850km journey from the Caribbean coast through the lush mountains up to Bogotá.
¡Viva! 28th Spanish & Latin American Festival features 50 screenings of 21 films from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Fri 18 Mar 2022 – Thu 7 Apr 2022 at HOME Manchester.