Cielo

The first thing that strikes as Cielo begins is the beauty of the colours and the cinematography. The rugged landscapes of the Bolivian altiplano are stunning contrasting with the vivid colours of Santa’s (Fernanda Gutiérrez Aranda) traditional dress. After which she swallows a fish, murders her father, celebrates with her mother whom she with her own death and puts in barrel of salt, ready to be brought back to life, in heaven.

From there on Santa’s mission is complicated by a priest, the police and a team of Cholita female wrestlers travelling around the country lead by La Reina (Mariela Salaverry).

All through this Santa is driven by her conviction that she and her mother will get to heaven and eternal peace. There is a background to this told through flashback to Santa early years with her mother and violent father.

Theological ideas mix with fantasy, dark humour, police procedural and some shocks along the way. It’s at times a hallucinogenic trip and a weirder than usual fairy tale. There’s also grief when the beaten cop Gustavo (Fernando Arze Echalar) begins to open up and slowly comes to believe in Santa’s mission. To add there’s the constant presence of a Condor, Bolivia’s national symbol.

What is certain is that there are no shortage of talking points in writer and director Alberto Sciamma’s latest film. Maybe better known for horror, here he’s dabbling with the theological and metaphysical at times leaving the viewer wondering, what is this really about.

The core storyline is not incoherent but is surrounded (weighed down?) by symbolism and metaphor. Is Santa divine? At one point she seems to be, only for that to be dashed by a tragedy.

There may be a tendency to read something into everything and that what Sciamma has more in mind is creating an enveloping cinematic experience. Granted many issues are touched on; grief, death, abuse none are deeply examined other than Santa’s quest, which derives from love.

The film that comes to mind is the recent Indian production, Sister Midnight that similarly had a core story with an abundance of issues and striking visuals scattered around it.

What is undeniable is that Sciamma with cinematographer Alex Metcalfe have made a film of outstanding beauty filled with some sublime images. Cielo is Spanish for sky and its entirely in keeping that the film concludes with dancing on white salt plains under magnificent pure blue sky.

Cielo’s UK premiere was at the inaugural London SXSW on 6 June. With another screening on 7 June. Both the director Alberto Sciamma and lead actress Fernanda Gutie´rrez Aranda will be in attendance.