“Set in the scenic seaport city of ValparaÃso, the latest from Pablo LarraÃn reunites the visionary Chilean auteur with Mexican superstar Gael GarcÃa Bernal for an incendiary drama about art, desire, and family. Ema (Mariana di Girolamo, in a magnetic breakthrough performance) is a talented young dancer whose roots lie in the carnal reggaetón grooves she and her friends perform to in the city streets, but she’s forged a career as part of a more cerebral modern-dance ensemble helmed by her husband, choreographer Gastón (GarcÃa Bernal). As the film opens, the couple is reeling from a terrible crisis: their adopted 12-year-old son Polo has set fire to their home, severely burning the face of Ema’s sister in the process. With her child taken from her and her marriage crumbling, Ema sets out on a strange, secretive, and risky quest to reset her life.
With a stirring score by Nicolás Jaar and breathtakingly bold choreography from José Vidal, Ema infuses absurdist humor, unbridled physicality, and formal adventurousness into the malleable framework of the family drama, playing out in both intimate interiors and on ValparaÃso’s steep streets, where roiling emotions are expressed through dance. An award-winning highlight of the Venice, Toronto and Sundance Film Festivals, Ema strikes a mesmerizing balance between dazzling, enigmatic imagery and unnervingly familiar scenes of domestic strife.” -Toronto International Film Festival
