They were being watched, they said, by something evil. Something nonhuman. A dark thing, making the cattle raise their voices. Something red, and upon it is an angry, ugly history. The people feared it, but what if it was the light of their guilt over Argentina’s old tambo for the enslavement of black people?
The candles are lit along with the rituals of constant prayer. For the people of La Pampa in Argentina, those who are gone are still present in plain sight. The fear of reincarnation is a new form of fear of the folk tales of “black ghosts” that also reside in the grasslands of La Pampa. Las apariencias (Nicolás Onischuk, 2023) sheds further light on the community’s interpretation of the figure that is present when darkness falls.
Along with the story of the black ghost of La Pampa goes the quiet, ordinary life of the people. We see them feeding their livestock, ironing using the charcoal press, kneading bread, and weaving or cooking. Las apariencias (2023) is a silent film adorned with the sounds of nature and narration that relays ancestral quotes about the scourge of the La Pampa region. The black candles will burn as a silent welcome to the voiceless ghosts.
Las apariencias (2023) is selected in International Feature-Length Competition Festival Film Dokumenter 2023. (Athallah, Tuffahati) (Vanis)
Film Details
Las apariencias
Nicolás Onischuk | 90 Min | 2023 | Argentina | Color | 17+
Screening Schedule
12.04 | Gedung ex Bioskop Permata | 14.40 WIB
