Valley of Souls

Tantas almas

DIRECTED BY: Nicólas Rincón Gille COUNTRY: Colombia, Belgium YEAR: 2019 SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): Spanish SUBTITLES: English, German RUNNING TIME: 137 min

SECTION: International Forum

SCREENINGS

SYNOPSIS

In 2002, after a night spent avoiding the dangers of Colombia’s ongoing unrest, José arrives home to dreadful news: “They took them away”, he is informed by his sobbing daughter; with this, he knows without doubt that his two sons are dead, their corpses disposed of in the river that provides the family’s livelihood. So begins a terrible journey, as José goes in search of the bodies of his murdered boys. Along the way, he encounters occasional kindnesses, the constant threat of violence, and – perhaps – the intercession of saints. With its precise portrayal of intense fear and grief ensconced in an odyssey that somehow remains disturbingly placid, Valley of Souls is a plea for peace in a society still rent by civil strife.

BIOGRAPHY
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Economy in Bogotá, Nicolás Rincón Gille studied in Belgium at the insas. He worked as a cinematographer on a few films and directed three short films before embarking on his trilogy project “campo hablado” dedicated to the richness of oral tradition in Colombia’s countryside. The first part, THOSE WAITING IN THE DARK (2007), received the Joris Ivens Award at Cinéma du Réel, followed by the second part, THE EMBRACE OF THE RIVER (2010), which was awarded the Montgolfière d’Or Prize at the Festival des 3 Continents. WOUNDED NIGHT (2015) is the last part of the trilogy, awarded Special Mention from the International Jury at Cinéma de Réel and Best Film in the Colombian Competition at ficci in 2016. VALLEY OF SOULS is his first fiction feature.

FILMOGRAPHY
Those Waiting in the Dark (2007), The Embrace of the River (2010), Wounded Night (2015), Valley of Souls (2019)

SCRIPT: Nicólas Rincón Gille PRODUCER: Hector Ulloque Franco, Manuel Ruiz Montealegre CINEMATOGRAPHY: Juan Sarmiento G. EDITOR: Cedric Zoenen CAST: Arley de Jesús Carvallido Lobo

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