Vendrá la muerte y tendrá tus ojos

Two women in a hammock; a kiss, a caress. But this seemingly serene happiness hides a darker subtext. They've been together a long time; one of them is now incurably ill, and is refusing further treatment. They have moved into a small house in the woods to be closer to one another while death waits to strike.

As we have come to expect from this director, whose El cielo, la tierra y lalluvia (2008) and Verano (2011), among others, also screened in Rotterdam, the focus here is mainly on the depiction of an inner process. In the midst of nature, the faces of the characters, their looks, touches or a moment of anger or sorrow often say more than the sparing dialogue. Sober, intimate realism which takes on an almost magical dimension through poetic moments and exceptionally presented memories. Love, tragedy, life.