Lou Castel

Longtime filmmaking partners Samuel M. Delgado and Helena Girón write and direct the story of the face-branded and trapped Fátima (Luisa Ahl Laabiad, in her screen debut), who lives on a small island waiting day and night on The Marquis (Lou Castel, who came out of retirement for this performance). When it becomes clear she and her village might die of thirst, she chooses drastic measures to protect her child, and save her community. What works here is Ahl Laabiad’s performance, with dogged determination, release into hopelessness, and seething fury seeming to war inside her for purchase moment to moment.