Sorcery (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Brujería
File:Sorcery (film) poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChristopher Murray
Written byChristopher Murray
Pablo Paredes
Produced byJuan de Dios Larraín
Nicolás Celis
Pablo Larraín
Rocío Jadue
StarringValentina Véliz
CinematographyMaría Secco
Edited byPaloma López
Music byLeonardo Heiblum
Production
companies
Bord Cadre Films
Fábula
Match Factory Productions
Pimienta Films
Sovereign Films
Distributed byPimienta Films
Release dates
  • March 16, 2023 (2023-03-16) (Mexico)
  • March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23) (Chile)
Running time
100 minutes
CountriesChile
Mexico
Germany
LanguagesSpanish
Mapudungun
German

Sorcery (Spanish: Brujería) is a 2023 fantasy drama film directed by Christopher Murray and co-written by Murray and Pablo Paredes.[1] The film stars Valentina Véliz[2] and is inspired by a true story involving accusations of witchcraft against members of the Recta Provincia organization in 1880.[3] It was nominated for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.[4]

Plot

[edit | edit source]

In late 19th-century Chiloé, Rosa, an indigenous girl, and her father work for German settlers who raise sheep. After a lamb massacre, German patriarch Stefan accuses the indigenous locals. When Rosa's father intervenes, he is killed by Stefan's dogs. Rosa seeks justice from the town mayor, but the mayor, unwilling to upset the German settlers, refuses to act. Turning to the church, Rosa finds a guardian in the priest who arranges for her to stay with Mateo, an indigenous elder who lives alone.

Mateo takes Rosa in and she helps him with fishing. They visit her father's grave, and Mateo tells her that her father's spirit belongs to the sea. Overwhelmed by grief, Rosa tries to drown herself but Mateo saves her. Rosa then asks Mateo to seek justice for her father. Mateo agrees to consult the indigenous community. Shortly after, Stefan's sons disappear, and the mayor arrests Mateo and other locals. With Mateo imprisoned, Rosa is taken in by a local witch and, after witnessing Mateo's torture, she renounces Christianity and embraces the island's native religion under the witch's guidance.

During a ritual involving skin-wearing, Rosa and the witch are captured by Stefan. The mayor, eager to resolve the situation for a promotion, offers leniency if Mateo's people save his ailing wife and unborn child. Mateo initially resists but is persuaded by Rosa. Rosa successfully saves the mayor's family with her new witchcraft skills, but the mayor breaks his promise, declaring the ritual skin to be from Stefan's children and sentencing all prisoners to death.

Mateo dies in jail, and the remaining prisoners perform a ritual where Rosa wears Mateo's skin, transforming into a powerful dog. As the dog, Rosa sneaks into the mayor's home and threatens his family. Terrified, the mayor releases Rosa and her friends. Later, Rosa leads another ritual, having fully embraced her new path.[5]

Cast

[edit | edit source]

The actors participating in this film are:[6][7][8]

Release

[edit | edit source]

Festivals

[edit | edit source]

The film had its international premiere on January 21, 2023, at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.[9] Then, it premiered on February 1, 2023, at the Göteborg Film Festival in Sweden.[10] It is also set to screen at the 56th Sitges Film Festival as a part of the Official Selection in October 2023.[11] It also screened at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2023.[12]

Theatrical

[edit | edit source]

Sorcery was released commercially on March 16, 2023, in Mexican theaters[13] and a week later it was released in Chilean theaters.[14][15]

Reception

[edit | edit source]

Critical reception

[edit | edit source]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10.[16]

Jonathan Holland of Screendaily wrote: "Visually, Sorcery is always oppressively dark and delicious. But following the surreal court trial of Mateo and his team, the tension flags as the free-form, supernatural element is foregrounded and events pile up too quickly to feel credible."[17] Jacob Oller of Paste magazine wrote: "Sorcery only explores a tiny event, a blip on its timeline, and squeezes it into a subgenre that removes some of its more fascinating textures. But there’s still so much power in its imagery that it’s more tantalizing than frustrating."[18]

Accolades

[edit | edit source]
Year Award / Festival Category Recipient Result Ref.
2023 Sundance Film Festival World Film Dramatic Competition Sorcery Nominated [19]
Göteborg Film Festival Dragon Award – International Competition Nominated [20]
Cinélatino Festival Toulouse Cinema+ Award Won [21]
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival Best Picture Won [22]
2024 Caleuche Awards Best Supporting Actor Daniel Muñoz Nominated [23]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  21. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  22. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  23. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
[edit | edit source]
  • Sorcery at IMDbLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Retrieved from "http://70.231.62.181/index.php?title=Sorcery_(film)&oldid=17432692"