A riveting, genre-bending feature debut following a soon-to-be mother, Valeria, as she starts experiencing odd visions and sensations that alert her to a supernatural presence lurking around the corner. As her paranoia grows, she encounters increasing resistance from her partner and immediate family, with old wounds slowly resurfacing and further alienating her from her loved ones.
Precise yet measured in its use of occult themes and genre conventions, Huesera expertly fuses elements of demonic possession and witchcraft while drawing from regional folklore. Meanwhile, it astutely taps into taboo themes around motherhood, adding weight to every bone crack and window peek. A truly chilling watch, the film leans heavily into the body horror realm, employing sound and spider analogy to evoke the nature of demonic temperament. The visceral choreographies and bone-cracking alone promise to haunt one long after the credits roll.
Q&A Oct 1 & Oct 8
Media Partner
Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, Martha Claudia Moreno
Mexico/Peru
2022
In Spanish with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
No Other Land
Deemed by many critics one of the essential films of 2024, a multiple festival award winner and a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, No Other Land is a reminder that mass expulsion is by no means a new reality for Palestinians.
Sugarcane
"Deeply impactful", Sugarcane is an important contribution to the ongoing process of Truth & Reconciliation in this country, a compassionate, sensitive account of the investigation into residential school abuse at Williams Lake, BC.
Parthenope
Great beautician Paolo Sorrentino (The Young Pope) returns to the city of his birth with this languorous, love-struck chronicle of the life of a modern day siren, Parthenope (newcomer Celeste Della Porta). Stylish, philosophical, deeply Italiano.
Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience
The Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience is thrilled to present a special performance showcasing the diverse, Afro-centric roots of samba, soul, and funk alongside a screening of the essential Brazilian film City of God.
Credits
Executive Producer
Eduardo Lecuona, Javier Sepúlveda, Francisco Sánchez, Mauricio van Hasselt, Mónica Reina, Rune Hansen, Joakim Ziegler, Øyvind Stiauren, David Bond
Producer
Paulina Villavicencio, Edher Campos
Screenwriter
Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo
Cinematography
Nur Rubio Sherwell
Editor
Adriana Martínez
Production Design
Ana J. Bellido
Original Music
Gibrán Androide, Cabeza de Vaca
Director
Michelle Garza Cervera
Michelle Garza Cervera graduated from Centro de capacitación cinematográfica in Mexico City and was awarded a Chevening Scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, where she completed an MFA. Her shorts have played all over the world. Huesera, her debut feature, was co-written with Abia Castillo.