film

Argentine director Iván Fund’s El Mensaje is a quietly mesmerising road movie that blends social realism with magical ambiguity. Shot in stunning black and white, the film follows nine-year-old Anika, whose supposed ability to communicate with animals becomes the foundation of a travelling business in rural Argentina, run by her opportunistic guardians. Whether the gift is genuine or not is left unresolved – the film instead focuses on why people so desperately want to believe.

El Mensaje unfolds at a gentle pace and finds emotional depth in silence, landscapes and fleeting encounters. Fund explores themes of childhood innocence, economic hardship and the fragile bonds that hold unconventional families together. The understated performances, particularly from newcomer Anika Bootz, complement the contemplative tone of a film that confirms Fund as one of Latin America's most distinctive contemporary filmmakers.