La Libertad

The first and most significant film by Lisandro Alonso: a day in the life of a woodcutter in the Argentine bush, condensed into 73 minutes that leave behind any questions about the boundaries between documentary and staging. In fluid shots, the film is reduced to its essence, preserving its mysteries and never appearing exotic in its portrayal of an archaic everyday life.

The protagonist, Misael Saavedra, moves stoically through the forest, marking some trees, felling and trimming others. At one point, he rides with the man who collects the timber to a shop, buys cigarettes, exchanges a few words. In between, he rests in his tent, eats an armadillo (caught with a quick movement of the hand and slaughtered by himself), and later returns what he has eaten to the forest: a cycle of existence, routines of life.

The techno music in the opening credits serves as a reminder that things are not so different in more urban, “closer” existences. What is freedom, where is it, and how is it lived? (Christoph Huber)