A window into Latin culture and the psyche

In an effort to highlight Latin American filmmakers during Hispanic Heritage Month, AFI is hosting its 36th annual Latin American Film Festival in Silver Spring. Spanning from Sept. 18 to Oct. 9, the festival showcases contemporary films from Latin American directors, along with interviews with select filmmakers and cultural activities. 

LatAm film festival

Photo: The annual Latin American Film Festival celebrates contemporary Latin filmmakers during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The annual Latin American Film Festival celebrates contemporary Latin filmmakers during Hispanic Heritage Month. Photo courtesy of Joe Newman.

Among the festival’s standout selections is “Lost Chapters,”  a haunting yet intimate portrayal of a Venezuelan family that I had the chance to see during its screening on Sept. 27. Directed by Lorena Alvarado, the film delves into the personal struggles of Alvarado’s real-life family as her grandmother loses her memory and the country devolves into chaos. 

The film focuses on Ena Alvarado (the director’s sister) and her pursuit of finding “lost chapters” that she can retell to her grandmother before it’s too late. Ena’s father is a book collector who obsessively attempts to safeguard the classics of Venezuelan literature before he believes they will inevitably be lost. Ena’s grandmother, who is lovingly called “Mamama” over the course of the movie, slowly loses her ability to identify her grandchildren and function within her small countryside cottage. Sprinkled throughout the feature are references to the oppressive regime of Nicolás Maduro and the rampant flooding throughout the country, which assist as useful suspense-building mechanisms. Unfortunately however, much of the movie consists of silent pastoral compositions that often make the movie feel longer than it is. 

While “Lost Chapters” can at times be slow-moving, the cinematography often makes up for this somewhat stunted narrative. Elegant shots of colorful Venezuelan forests and traditional Latin-American house items, paired with a melancholy score, create an airy mood that redeems the film’s lagging plot. Though it reflects on Venezuela’s current turmoil, Alvarado’s work ultimately urges viewers to look to the past. As Ena’s father seeks to collect old books and Ena searches for a lost chapter from the past, the characters often miss treasuring the present moment.  

The essence of the film is captured by a beautiful poem that Mamama has difficulty remembering, a poem titled “Todo Está Igual” (Everything is the Same) by Venezuelan poet Pedro Pablo Paredes. “Everything is the same as on that afternoon/the same roses adorn the garden/and the same sun upon the same things/gleams with a gentle clarity,” Paredes writes. “Only in my heart has all been changed/and barely the memory remains/of that love I once felt for her.” In one of the most touching scenes of the movie, Ena tries to help her grandmother remember this ancient poem, but to no avail: Ena finds that her grandmother’s heart has truly been changed, and “barely the memory remains of the love she once felt” for her granddaughter. 

Ultimately, “Lost Chapters” is a scenic watch more than anything, but its hints of brilliance are evident throughout. Perhaps what’s most moving about the film is that it’s all based on real events – even the actors play themselves. In an industry oversaturated with explosions and shootouts, “Lost Chapters” displays a Latin-American delicateness towards filmmaking that is often difficult to find. 

“Lost Chapters” is available on the streaming service MUBI. Tickets for the final nights of the Latin American Film Festival can be found here.