20th Century Women
118'
USA
IFFR 2017
In a Filipino fishing village, two girls aged 16 are put in a car. One of them is found murdered, the other has disappeared without a trace. While a search for the missing girl goes on, the media has a field day with the friendship between the two girls. The inhabitants continue to be amazed that one of them must have broken the law. They lived peacefully together, didn’t they? After which the only witness has to make a difficult decision.
Town in a Lake criticises corruption and politicians who only think about getting votes, although corruption is a sensitive issue under a president who preaches law and order. The surprising turn the story takes at the end can be explained as a portrayal of magical realism in Filipino culture. But it’s more likely that Leyco enjoys the idea of villagers who cannot bear so much animosity in their idyllic countryside and consequently let their imaginations loose.
IFFR 2017