PRIZE OF UN CERTAIN REGARD AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL After Lucia is a heartrending portrayal of violence in a mundane world. No fight scenes or blood or verbal aggression here: only intimations of violence creating an oppressive and almost unendurable atmosphere. At the centre of the story is Alejandra, daughter of the famous Lucia who died suddenly in a car accident—the first trace of violence. Lucia’s husband and daughter must now learn to live without her, not an easy task. The father is consumed by depression and cannot manage to hold on to his job or summon interest in anything around him. Alejandra succumbs to a spiral of harassment at school, but refuses to seek help from her father so as to protect him. Caught in a mounting cycle of abuse and humiliation, her only option is to flee. The young Alejandra is played by Tessa La, who performs beautifully in a role that’s tailor-made for her. Seen here in her second role after The Burning Plain (Guillermo Arriaga, 2009), she skilfully embodies the fragility and violence of youth desperate for truths that adults struggle to provide.