Zanjas
Running time: 79 mins
How does one overcome the shadows of one's past? Patagonia, South America: In a town plagued with femicide, director Francisco Joaquin Paparella's cinematic mystery unfolds into a tale of a man struggling with his own guilt. Zamora, a ditch-digger and rural worker, is troubled by his own questionable past. Pursuing catharsis, he leaves civilization and heads deep into the snowy mountains to live in an isolated cabin. Nearby, a missing girl's body is found abandoned in a ditch, yet there is no outcry. Something is out of place in this townsomething...eerie. And we, as the viewers, will have to discover what that is. Zanjas evokes the atmosphere of classic westerns with gorgeous landscapes and lingering quiet shots of a dusty, rustic town. Gritty and beautiful, Zanjas easily earns a place of honor among other modern westerns. - Amelia Masters Preceded by the short film: Sister Stalking; dir. Kimy Martinez; United States; 27 min.