La Verónica

The life of Veronica, a model and the wife of a famous football player, revolves around her own image. She is very aware of how other (including her own husband) see her and she keeps recreating the image of a successful businesswoman and a good wife at her every step. However, when a tragic accident from the near past is uncovered and the tensions keep piling up inside Verónica, she is forced to admit that real life does not conform to social media filters. Or does it?

The performance of lead actress Mariana Di Girólamo (whom the PÖFF audience saw in Pablo Larrain’s "Ema" a year ago) pulls us ever deeper into the web woven by Verónica. The peculiar visual language also doubtlessly catches the eye: this Chilean film has been shot with a static camera, with Veronica naturally at the centre of the screen. Director and screenwriter Leonardo Medel’s topical and entertaining film offers us an opportunity to look in the mirror and contemplate our own role in creating this world of endless filters and masks.

Liisi Rohumäe

Rebel with a Cause Award