Las Acacias
Pablo Giorgelli
Verve Pictures
Las Acacias is a gentle little slow burner, which incredibly, marks Argentinian Pablo Giorgelli鈥檚 directorial debut. More of a human story than a 鈥渞oad movie鈥 as such, it invites the viewer to join lorry driver Rub茅n (Germ谩n de Silva) as he drives single mother Jacinta (Hebe Duarte) and her baby from Paraguay to Buenos Aires.
Initially, it鈥檚 an uncomfortable journey to accompany them on: she鈥檚 wary but determined to find work; he鈥檚 a loner 鈥 gruff and resigned to life on the road. However, as these two erstwhile strangers gradually adjust to one another, there are some genuinely touching moments, and the film employs silence to brilliant effect, with long dialogue-free sequences communicating far more than words could ever say.
There鈥檚 some excellent camerawork too, showing Jacinta and Rub茅n literally through each other鈥檚 eyes and locating the viewer directly within their confined lorry cab. Bravely and impressively understated, it鈥檚 easy to see why Las Acacias won a host of prestigious awards, and Giorgelli鈥檚 next offering will surely be awaited with great interest.
Grace Henderson