Director Lila Aviles tightly intertwined film of a family preparing for a birthday celebration for a man who is dying of cancer is a beautifully observed slice of life.
For a film about death, Lila Avilés’ “Tótem” is extraordinarily lived in.
Avilés’ camera roams through the festive, cluttered gathering of an extended family as they prepare for a birthday celebratio.
For a film about death, Lila Avilés’ “Tótem” is extraordinarily lived in. Avilés’ camera roams through the festive, cluttered gathering of an extended family as they prepare for a birthday celebration that evening. Watching it all is the 7-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes), whose father, Tonatiuh or “Tona” (Mateo Garcia), is to be feted.