In the mist, firelight, and shadows a mother, Inés, fails to recognize the voice of her own son Basilio. It is strange, dark, and different than the boy she once knew. It is Basilio's ghost, returning home and searching for his mother.
"Children don't survive here. Only soldiers do."
The pair begin a journey. It is inside their memories. The flute-like song of a thrush, soldiers going house by house and killing who they find, a flowing river, a mother calling to her boy, peculiar plants like a cross between Joshua trees and palms, piles of clothes and belongings of the dead, eerie sounds of forest insects, a little girl alone and crying, and tree branches rustling in the wind.
"How did you manage to give birth to such a monster?"
Dark and beautiful, Horizonte is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. This film has it all; captivating sound, depth that I am still trying to wrap my head around, mesmerizing cinematography, fantastic stories, intriguing plot and dialogue, surreal music and ambient sound, memorable acting, unexpected twists, resplendent flashbacks still reverberating in my mind, and authentic character journeys that are acutely heartrending. Even the special effects are not just flashy, but purposeful and stunning works of art. I was entranced by a house that rises from the land, ghostly visions, and dream-like, shifting landscapes.
"Stop thinking about what you lost and start thinking about what you can do for others."
Essential to Horizonte is a resonant message about healing and discovering the truth about a fifty-year war. It isn't just the fitful souls of Ines and Basilio seeking redemption. The entire country of Colombia is searching too. Each person, each place, is different and all we can do is give what we can.
"Hay futuro si hay verdad." (there is a future if there is truth)
- Colombian Truth Commission, final report.
