Northern Skies Over Empty Space

Don Reynaldo owns a large ranch in northern Mexico and is a renowned hunter. He is ageing and his ability to hunt is going. The ranch came from his father and is now under threat: land in the region is changing hands, armed groups move about, and nobody is safe. The family gathers. Decisions have to be made and he cannot accept it. The relations between the household staff and the family change as well. Alejandra Márquez Abella directs. The subject is manhood and property. Don Reynaldo's authority rests on the hunt, on the land and on nobody saying no to him; all three come apart at once. The film does not show the violence. The threat in the region always stays at a distance: sounds from far off, roads closed, news not spoken. The tension comes from that invisibility. The workers are the second strand; the people employed on the ranch have their own calculations and the film gives them a separate view. The visual language is wide: the empty land of northern Mexico and the large sky answer the title directly. Its limit is pace; little happens and the film is deliberately static. Who it is for: viewers who like Mexican cinema and slow, atmosphere driven drama. Who it is not for: the pace is very slow, the characters are cold, and the ending is left open.