Summary
A mind-blowing short film about the epidemic of girl abduction in Mexico.
Sin Cielo won the grand jury prize at Seattle Film Festival, as well as numerous other prestigious awards for short films.
Director Jianna Maarten received her degree from The American Film Institute’s Conservatory and studied her chosen subject very carefully when constructing the film.
Traveling alone to dangerous parts of Mexico, the talented filmmaker stayed with underprivileged families of the area, many of whom had first-hand experience with the horrific situation that the film deals with.
The research pays dividends for the production, as despite a run time of under 25 minutes, we are immersed in the characters and their landscape.
Basically the film follows a young romance, that is doomed from the start, but the tone and atmosphere are filled with dread. from the beautiful but haunting bookends, and the understated acting from the young leads, this is a carefully crafted masterpiece of tension, that tells a horrific true story that will shock all who watch.
Helped on its way, Sin Cielo boasts some stunning cinematography from Marcin Banasiak and a score from Bartek Gliniak.
This is an important film that does what these types of movies need to do: present a truth that is shocking and unthinkable, in a form of media that people will actively seek out to watch.
As critics, we present ourselves as viewers that often pass personal judgments over media, but often as critics, we must realize that certain presentations can make us unworthy of that luxury. Sin Cielo is a piece of work that defies criticism and should be a benchmark for filmmakers with any intent on producing a piece of work that is relevant today.
Haunting and heartbreaking, and a class act.
