The Shipwrecked

Thirty years ago, Diego Gutiérrez moved to the Netherlands. For his latest film, he returned to Mexico, seeking answers to lingering questions. How do you cope with loneliness and grief? How do you connect with nature? Is an easier life in a less dangerous country also a better life?

Breathtaking natural beauty is on full display through the widescreen format in which Gutiérrez, in close collaboration with editor Albert Markus, presents portraits of several Mexican people: a farmer who decided to return to his father’s farm, a couple of young nature conservationists, and an art restorer returning a statue of Jesus to its former glory. The violence pervading Mexican society and the pain of the past leave them struggling to find purpose and meaning.

Though simple in form, this modest yet ambitious account conveys far-reaching meaning. In this thoughtful group portrait, Gutiérrez seems to be searching for some kind of analgesic. He finds solace in observing others.