PIFF/LA recommends the best 5 films that were screened at the 7th Panama International Film Festival:
1 – Killing Jesus
director: Laura Mora Ortega | country: Colombia, Argentina | year: 2017
Paula, a young Colombian student, witnesses the cold-blooded murder of her father. After dealing with police inefficiency, she accidentally crosses paths with the hitman who killed her father. Driven by her anger, frustration and pain, the choice of revenge seems to be the only possible reaction… But what if both of them are victims of a violent and corrupt system?
2-Lots of Kids, A Monkey, and A Castle
director: Gustavo Salmerón |country: Spain | year: 2017
Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle are the childhood dreams that Julita Salmerón always wished for, and these three desires all came true. When her youngest son finds out that his mother has lost the spine of his murdered great-grandmother, an item which has been guarded for three generations, the family embarks on a hunt around the house, coming across the most peculiar objects that Julia has accumulated throughout her life, showing us a vibrant portrait of the different characters. But what Julia is about to discover is life’s true meaning.
3- A Fantastic Woman
director: Sebastián Lelio | country: Chile | year: 2017
Marina, a young waitress who leads an exciting nightlife as a club singer, must confront the hostility and hard reprimands of her boyfriend’s family after his sudden death.
4 – Alanis
director: Anahí Berneri | country: Argentina | year: 2017
Alanis is a sex worker. She lives in an apartment with her baby and a friend, Gisela, a woman much older than her. Two municipal inspectors posing as clients close down her apartment and take Gisela, charging her with “human trafficking”. Given the scenario, Alanis is forced to reach out to an aunt, and she shows up at her place, a clothing store in Plaza Miserere. In that multiracial and dangerous neighbourhood, Alanis will try to recover her identity, help her friend and take care of her son. She does what she knows how to do best, but even the streets have rules and she will have to fight to make room for herself.
5- Summer 1993
director: Carla Simón |country: Spain | year: 2017
Frida, a six-year-old girl, must confront the challenge of spending her first summer with her new adoptive parents. This is the story of a little one who must learn how to fit in a new world.