The Dryden will screen Jauja (Lisandro Alonso, Argentina/Us/Netherlands/France/Mexico 2014, 108 min., DCP, Spanish, Danish, and French w/ subtitles).

Much closer in spirit to his performance in Cronenberg's A History of Violence than to that in Lord of the Rings, Viggo Mortensen is the leading actor, co-producer, and music composer (with American guitarist Buckethead) for a lavishly rarified pseudo-western set in 1882 under the majestic skies of Patagonia. The film's title refers to a mythological land of abundance and happiness, the Eldorado-like object of a hopeless quest. In the opening credits, it is explained, "all who tried to find this earthly paradise got lost on the way": thus begins the protagonist's odyssey in the unforgiving beauty of a barren wilderness. The emotional path of Mortensen's superb performance has been compared to a hybrid of Werner Herzog's Aguirre, Wrath of God, Tarkovsky, and John Ford's The Searchers—with a touch of David Lynch in the warped time frame of the film's narrative. Flattering as they may be, these references don't pay justice to the talent and vision of Argentinian director Lisandro Alonso. The true voice of his cinematic style is the landscape, whose rugged shapes and painterly lights are both dreamlike and painfully real. A much-debated revelation at last year's Cannes film festival, Jauja brings a spiritual edge to the heart of darkness of colonial history. Special presentation by Paolo Cherchi Usai, senior curator, Moving Image Department.

[source: Dryden website, 2015-Aug-31]