Huacho

"Rural traditions and modern life clash in Alejandro Fernández Almendras's engaging feature debut, Huacho. Chronicling the life of a hard-working peasant family – grandparents Clemira (Clemira Aguayo) and Cornelio (Cornelio Villagrán), their daughter Alejandra (Alejandra Yáñez) and her pre-teen son, Manuel (Manuel Hernández) – Almendras paints an evocative picture of the many hardships experienced by millions of rural Chileans. An apt title for the film, huacho means “bastard” or “having no father” but can also mean “abandoned.” The family members are left behind by a modern way of life that does not include them. Faced with problems like electrical shortages, low wages and discrimination, they work hard just to stay afloat. Rather than...