Destello bravío

Isa uses a cassette recorder to record messages to herself, which she later plays back. “A mighty flash of light will appear above the village, which will change everything”, she hears herself say. “It is magnificent. We will all get a headache, we will lose our memories and we will disappear.” Isa hopes for change, and this is not surprising. She lives in a small community in the southwest of Spain where nothing ever happens. The young people all leave. For those who remain, time seems to stand still. Cita is not satisfied with this; her hopes are fixed on something different. She leaves her husband and roams the small town.

Destello bravío follows Isa, Cita and other women trying to break out of their static lives. A group of ladies lunch and gossip. Old María mourns her deceased husband, Paco. Sometimes, someone hears a sound that escapes everyone else. Female lusts flare up, whether stimulated by home-baked sweet treats or not. Everything sounds different at night and in the early hours of the morning.

This highly original drama often looks like a documentary, but also takes inspiration from surrealism and magic realism. Using non-professional actors, a very special, disruptive electronic soundtrack and suggestive camerawork, Destello bravío proves that even the everyday can be exceptional.