Clara Sola

In a remote Costa-Rican village, Clara (Wendy Chinchilla Araya) is touted as having divine healing powers by her mother. She’s not allowed to leave the house, or even begin to enjoy herself—she’s simply a source of miracles-on-tap for the family and their visitors.

A quiet but powerful tale of breaking out of the cage people set for you. It’s a sexual and spiritual awakening as well as an exploration of faith and morality, set against the lush green backdrop of the Costa-Rican rainforest.

The lead performance is fantastic, building in power and confidence almost imperceptibly in every scene until it hits you at the end that Clara is very much a changed woman.

Hard to believe this is a directorial debut, it’s such a mature and restrained piece of work.