Synopsis
In a post-apocalyptical-matriarchal community, Lina faces her trial to bring light or perish to the darkness. Mara’s compassion pushes Lina to create an unprecedented light.
An Intriguing Experiment in Visual Storytelling
Written and directed by Damiana Acuña, Lux Noctis is a short that’s both captivating and a bit confounding. Set in some kind of post-apocalyptic community, Lux Noctis follows Lina (Mariel Molino) as she undertakes some kind of ritual. The specifics of the ritual are a bit unclear, due to the film’s lack of dialogue. But Lina ends up spending a night outside, tied to a tree, attempting to create light. This abstractness is the film’s greatest strength and its biggest weakness. As an experiment in visual storytelling, Lux Noctis is captivating. It’s a film that requires repeat viewings to fully appreciate everything it’s doing, with each frame containing a cavalcade of subtle visual hints. But for a story as high concept as this, the complete lack of expository dialogue renders the plot a bit difficult to follow.
With that said, Lux Noctis ends up being more about the feelings it generates than the story it tells. Between the gorgeous visuals and the haunting soundtrack, Acuña conjures this completely engrossing, almost unsettling atmosphere. An isolating feeling permeates the entire film. Lina isolates herself from the rest of the community. The community isolates itself from the rest of the world. And the film, in turn, isolates the audience a bit. While I can’t say I fully understood the specifics of the narrative, I can easily say I haven’t stopped thinking about Lux Noctis since I watched it. It’s bound to be divisive, with its lack of dialogue and experimental form. But if you can get around that, there’s a lot to like.
Rating: 3.5/5
Lux Noctis is available as part of “AFI Conservatory Showcase 1” at AFI Fest 2021.
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Part-time writer, part-time theatre nerd, full-time dork.
