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Directors Alex and Diego Barragán Present JARDINES DEL BOSQUE at the 24th FICM

Katia Barragán

As part of the program for the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), the film Jardines del bosque, a Mexican drama, mystery, and suspense movie written and directed by brothers Alex and Diego Barragán, was screened.

The story is set in the summer of 2014 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Three young friends look back on the unexplained disappearance of Arlette, a slightly older neighbor who fascinated them deeply. What begins as a children's detective game becomes a dark mystery that confronts the young people with the harsh reality of the adult world.

The presentation was attended by a large part of the cast, including actress Fiona Palomo, who plays the protagonist. Alex Barragán thanked the audience for attending and expressed his excitement about presenting the film at FICM: “It’s a dream to be here in Morelia. A few years ago, we came as audience members to see other films, and today, being here with you presenting our work is truly incredibly rewarding.”

Afterwards, a brief question and answer session was held in which attendees addressed various aspects of the film, from the responsibility of telling a story about sensitive social issues to narrative decisions and the challenges of working with teenagers. When asked about the responsibility involved in writing and directing a film that addresses topics such as forced disappearance and femicide, the directors emphasized the importance of giving a voice to the issues present in society.

They also mentioned the decision to set the story in 2014, a year they chose as a way of acknowledging the moment when they felt these problems began to become more prevalent in their city. Regarding the fact that the protagonists are teenagers, they noted that they wanted to present a perspective that would mature alongside the plot, reflecting the transition from innocence to the loss thereof.

This transformation also invites us to question how, as a society, we have come to normalize such events. Finally, the directors described the experience of making the film as “fantastic” and highlighted the excellent work of the cast. The film had its world premiere last June at the 34th edition of the Raindance Film Festival in London.