LA LLORONA – Review by Karen Peterson
Bringing a legend to life while also giving it a new spin is a difficult task. And it’s one that Jayro Bustamente manages with excellence as he uses the legend of the Weeping Woman to interrogate past attrocities in La Llorona, Guatamala’s official selection for the 93rd Academy Awards.
As with all good legends, there are many variations on the Latin American story. But the most basic version is that of a woman who, out of jealousy or depression, drowned her children and then herself and, as punishment, was forced to remain in an Earth-bound purgatory where she lingers near bodies of water, waiting to collect children for any number of reasons. Continue reading…