As Leo Tolstoy wrote, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” I would go on to add that the particular ways that your family is unhappy define significant parts of a person’s being, crafting traits and peccadilloes and teaching them how to interact with others. The family dynamics are fully displayed in “Tótem,” director Lila Avilés’ follow-up to her debut, 2018’s “The Chambermaid.”
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In a review for The Playlist, Carlos Aguilar describes “Tótem” as feeling rich “in its sublimely compassionate, cinematic observations for which words alone could not suffice.” “Tótem” stars Naíma Sentíes, Monserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, and Teresita Sánchez.
In a discussion on the movie at Films at Lincoln Center, Aviles described the inspiration for “Tótem” as coming from “thinking about home, thinking about the concept of a house. And our inner house. If I close my eyes, this is my house, no?” It takes place entirely within the location of a middle-class, suburban home as a large family prepares for the terminally ill grandfather. Seen through the eyes of the seven-year-old Sol, “Tótem” observes all of the chaos and prickly relationships that arise as the family gets together to celebrate but face the specter of mortality.
“Tótem” is a 2023 Gotham nominee for Best International Feature and Mexico’s Oscar selection for Best International Feature. The film was also an official selection at the Telluride Film Festival, The Berlin International Film Festival, and New Directors/New Films 2023, so acclaim came from many angles.
Here’s the official synopsis:
In the enormously poignant follow-up to her international breakthrough, The Chambermaid, director Lila Avilés nestles in with one family over the course of a single, meaningful day. Tótem is told largely from the perspective of 7-year-old Sol (the marvelously naturalistic Naíma Sentíes) as her mother (Montserrat Marañón) and extended relatives prepare for the birthday party of the girl’s father (Mateo Garcia). As the hours wear on, building to an event both anticipated and dreaded, the fragile bonds and unsure future of the family become ever clearer. Avilés confirms her formidable skill at expressing the subtlest contours of her characters’ inner lives in this emotionally expansive and affecting drama.
“Tótem” will be released to movie theaters on January 26, 2024.