Summer of Goliath (Verano de Goliat)

• Director: Nicolás Pereda
• Writer: Nicolás Pereda
• Cast: Teresa Sánchez, Gabino Rodríguez, Harold Torres
• Theatrical Release Date:
• Criticwire: C
• On The Web IMDB Entry

Synopsis: "Summer of Goliath," the evocative fourth feature from Toronto resident Nicolás Pereda, fuses fiction and documentary filmmaking to create a wholly original work.

It is summer in Huilotepec, a rural community in the Mexican countryside, where a placid atmosphere belies the intrigues stirring among the townspeople. Teresa is convinced that her husband has left her for another woman. Her son, Gabino (a nuanced performance by Gabino Rodríguez), is in the military and spends his time conducting car searches with fellow soldier Alberto. Since very few cars pass their way, they spend most of their time harassing locals. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Oscar – nicknamed Goliath – lives the life of a social outcast because the word is he killed his girlfriend.

Although the town enjoys a beautiful setting, an oppressive atmosphere of solitude and suspicion hangs over its residents. Fathers abandon their families, work is hard to come by (an elderly woman futilely sells catalogue articles that no one will buy), and the military intimidates rather than protects. Worse, unexplained deaths remain shrouded in mystery and rumors abound.

To help illuminate this squalid environment, Pereda constructs a narrative using both interviews and dramatizations. He enlivens the story with sudden scenes of comedy in which characters confront various absurdities. At times, the performers are subjects in a documentary; at others, they are characters in fiction. Through this inspired blurring of real and imaginary, Pereda does more than simply tell a story – he allows us emotional insight into a fascinating community. After all, reality is merely a perspective.

Playing with audience perception, the film’s unusual construction elicits the mood and culture of small-town Mexico, producing a truly visceral experience. [Synopsis by Diana Sanchez/Toronto International Film Festival]