World premiere

Thread of Return

Local title
Juurte küljest lahti
Original title
Hilo de retorono
Director
Erwin Goggel
Country
Colombia
Year
2020
Programme
Official Selection - Competition

A poor district of Bogotá is ravaged by a tropical storm and the entailing flood destroys Marina’s home. The young woman is now forced to return to the place where she grew up, a place full of painful memories and violence. She and her cousin drive to the country, hoping to get back a piece of land that belonged to their grandfather.

Partly a look into the complex present-day world of Colombia, partly a girl’s journey to her roots – the past and the present are intertwined in this film. Time seems to lose meaning and the entire story is permeated by a dreamy atmosphere. It is a film that uses few words, but still says everything that has to be said.

The author of the film, Erwin Goggel, has probably worked in every role at filmmaking: a director, a producer, an actor, an cinematographer, a screenwriter. He is a true veteran of the cinema, whose production "The Rose Seller" was screened in the competition programme of Cannes in 1998. Goggel has also directed several documentaries. "Thread of Return" also uses real locations and its cast includes both professional and amateur actors. A superb performance by lead actress Paola Baldión is worth a special mention.

The author himself has said that he wanted this film to tell a story of an orphan who loses her adoptive family and starts looking for a new one. On a broader scale, the film also shows how the past and the present are so similar – it is as if we are walking in circles, unable to break out of the cycle of greed and violence.

Liisi Rohumäe

Director
Erwin Goggel
Screenwriter
Erwin Goggel
Cast
Paola Baldión, Julián Román, Indira Serrano
Producer
Erwin Goggel
DoP
Edgar Gil
Editor
Sergio Navarro
Runtime
Language
Spanish
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Erwin Goggel

Erwin Goggel (snd 1949) on sündinud šveitsi immigrantidest ettevõtjate peres Colombias, kus kasvas üles vaeste talupoegade, tööliste ja hüljatud laste keskel. Lõpetas Zürichi Draama Akadeemia filmiga „Mise en scene“ (1977) ja töötas seejärel Colombias enam kui 40 filmi juures eri ametites. Ta on rajanud ka ühenduse „Land and Home“.

Del palenque de San Basilio (2004, doc, co-dir), Hilo de retorno (Thread of Return, 2020)

Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn

Trailer
Q&A with the filmmaker