The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future. 2022. Chile. Directed by Francisca Alegría. DCP. 93 min.
In lush, small-town Chile, dead fish wash up on a riverbed, killed by factory runoff. Their lifeless bodies ask en masse: “Come close to us. Is the end nigh?” As if summoned, family matriarch Magdalena (Mía Maestro) rises from the river, decades after her death by suicide. Magdalena, now mute, attempts to reconnect with her family, and each of them must navigate forgiveness. Francisca Alegría’s feature directorial debut, anchored by sensitive performances, contrasts environmental destruction with family trauma and healing. This magic realist fable contains lessons easily translated to our climate disaster: If we can change ourselves, we can change the future. New York premiere. Courtesy Match Factory