The Desert Within

Elias has committed a sin against God and he fears he will be punished. He is convinced that God's wrath will manifest itself in the premature death of his eight children. In order to change his family's destiny and earn God's forgiveness, he chooses to live in senclusion and dedicates his life to the construction of a church... The story is told through the eyes of Elia's youngest and most vulnerable son Aureliano, who portrays the family saga in religious paintings. Yet it is Elias's mistakes which change the course of events, not God's vengeance. At least some of his children begin to realise that their father blames God for his inability to forgive others and, above all, himself... The director was initially prompted to make the film after discovering the diaries of the philosopher Sören Kierkegaard, who describes his fear of being condemned to a premature death by his father. Events unfolding during the 20th. century hepled the filmmaker to transfer the story from a Protestant environment to a Catholic and Mexican setting, and, in a historical context, to portray a film image of irrational religious insanity.
Mexico
'
2011

Director
Rodrigo plan

Script
Laura Santullo
Rodrigo Pla

Cinematography
Sergei Saldivar Tanaka

Editing
Ana Garcia
Rodrigo Pla

Production
Germán Mendez

Cast
Diego Catano
Eileen Yanez
Luis Fernando Pena
Mario Zaragoza
Memo Darantes

Music
Jacobo Lieberman
Leonardo Heiblum

Festivals
14th Festival on Wheels
GOLDEN GAIN INTERNATIONAL FILM COMPETITION