Sorcery (film)

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Brujería
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChristopher Murray
Written byChristopher Murray
Pablo Paredes
Produced byJuan de Dios Larraín
Nicolás Celis
Pablo Larraín
Rocío Jadue
StarringValentina Véliz
CinematographyMaría Secco
Edited byPaloma López
Music byLeonardo Heiblum
Production
companies
Bord Cadre Films
Fabula
Match Factory Productions
Pimienta Films
Sovereign Films
Distributed byPimienta Films
Release dates
March 16, 2023 (Mexico)
March 23, 2023 (Chile)
Running time
100 minutes
CountriesChile
Mexico
Germany
LanguagesSpanish
Mapudungun
German

Sorcery (Spanish: Brujería) is a 2023 internationally co-produced fantasy drama film directed by Christopher Murray and written by Murray & Pablo Paredes.[1] Starring Valentina Véliz.[2] It is inspired by a true story where members of the Recta Provincia organization back in 1880, were accused of witchcraft.[3] It was nominated at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in the World Film Dramatic Competition.[4]

Plot[edit]

On the remote island of Chiloé at the end of the 19th century, Rosa, an indigenous girl, and her father work for German settlers farming sheep. When an entire field of lambs is killed, the German patriarch, Stefan, blames the indigenous locals. Stefan demands Rosa names the culprits and when her father intervenes, he is killed by Stefan's dogs. Rosa appeals to the town mayor for Stefan to be punished, but the Spaniard has no interest in causing a rift with the German community. A converted Christian, Rosa next seeks help from the church priest, who arranges a guardian for her.

Rosa is sent to the house of Mateo, an indigenous island elder who lives alone. He takes her in and for a while she assists him with his fishing work. One day they visit the grave of Rosa's father and Mateo explains that as an island native, her father's afterlife belongs in the sea. The next day Rosa attempts suicide by walking into the sea, but Mateo saves her. After her recovery, Rosa implores Mateo for justice for her father. He promises to speak to the indigenous community to see what can be done. Shortly afterwards, both of Stefan's sons disappear, replaced in their bedroom by a pair of dogs. After fruitlessly scouring the island, the mayor has Mateo and several other locals arrested and interrogated. With Mateo in jail, Rosa is taken in by a local witch. After watching the mayor and the town guards torture Mateo, Rosa renounces Christianity and embraces the island's native religion, guided by the witch's teachings.

While preparing for a ritual involving the wearing of skin, Rosa and the witch are discovered and captured by Stefan. The mayor is keen to settle the matter, as he believes a swift resolution will result in his promotion and transfer to a more prestigious posting. However, while Rosa and her friends are awaiting trial, the mayor's pregnant wife falls ill and a local curse is suspected. The mayor strikes a deal where he will show leniency if Mateo's people help save his wife and unborn child. Mateo initially opposes the idea, but is eventually convinced by Rosa. With her newfound knowledge of witchcraft, Rosa successfully saves both the mother and baby, however the mayor reneges on the deal. He declares that the ritual skin is of human origin, presumably from Stefan's children, and all the prisoners are to be executed.

Still in jail, Mateo succumbs to his injuries. The remaining prisoners perform a ritual where Mateo's skin is removed and worn by Rosa, allowing her to enter the body of a powerful dog. As the dog, Rosa sneaks into the mayor's home and threatens his wife and child. Shaken by the experience, the mayor releases Rosa and her friends. Some time later, another ritual is being performed, this time led by Rosa.[5]

Cast[edit]

The actors participating in this film are:[6][7][8]

Release[edit]

Festivals[edit]

The film had its international premiere on January 21, 2023, at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.[9] Then, it premiered on February 1, 2023, at the Göteborg Film Festival in Sweden.[10] It is also set to screen at the 56th Sitges Film Festival as a part of the Official Selection in October 2023.[11] It also screened at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2023.[12]

Theatrical[edit]

Sorcery was released commercially on March 16, 2023, in Mexican theaters[13] and a week later it was released in Chilean theaters.[14][15]

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10.[16]

Jonathan Holland of Screendaily wrote: "Visually, Sorcery is always oppressively dark and delicious. But following the surreal court trial of Mateo and his team, the tension flags as the free-form, supernatural element is foregrounded and events pile up too quickly to feel credible."[17] Jacob Oller of Paste magazine wrote: "Sorcery only explores a tiny event, a blip on its timeline, and squeezes it into a subgenre that removes some of its more fascinating textures. But there’s still so much power in its imagery that it’s more tantalizing than frustrating."[18]

Accolades[edit]

Year Award / Festival Category Recipient Result Ref.
2023 Sundance Film Festival World Film Dramatic Competition Sorcery Nominated [19]
Göteborg Film Festival Dragon Award – International Competition Nominated [20]
Cinélatino Festival Toulouse Cinema+ Award Won [21]
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival Best Picture Won [22]
2024 Caleuche Awards Best Supporting Actor Daniel Muñoz Nominated [23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Espinoza, Pablo (2023-03-24). "Un viaje profundo a la brujería chilota: así es el nuevo largometraje de Christopher Murray". La Tercera. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  2. ^ "Brujería, de Christopher Murray: estreno en salas". UC Radio Beethoven (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  3. ^ Bałaga, Marta (2023-01-24). "'It's an Ambiguous Territory': Christopher Murray Takes on the Supernatural in Sundance Drama 'Sorcery'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  4. ^ ""Brujería", historia de resistencia indígena que crea sensación en Sundance". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2023-01-26. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  5. ^ "Brujería". Cinechile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  6. ^ "Brujería (película 2023) – Tráiler. resumen, reparto y dónde ver. Dirigida por Christopher Murray". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  7. ^ "Reparto Completo de Brujería (Cine.com)". cine.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  8. ^ "Brujería – Estreno, trailer y todo sobre la película". Cine PREMIERE (in Spanish). 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  9. ^ Leclerc, María Fernanda (2022-12-27). "Profesor Christopher Murray estrenará la película Brujería en el Festival Sundance 2023". Facultad de Comunicaciones (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  10. ^ "Sorcery". Göteborg Film Festival (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  11. ^ "The Festival's 56th Edition Kicks Off by Announcing its Complete Lineup". Sitges Film Festival. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. ^ "【Sorcery】｜ 36th Tokyo International Film Festival(2023)". 2023.tiff-jp.net. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  13. ^ "BRUJERÍA, película de Christopher Murray, se estrenará en México el próximo 16 de marzo bajo la distribución de PIMIENTA FILMS – Hoja de Ruta Digital" (in Spanish). 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  14. ^ "Brujería, la película chilena que se inspira en un caso histórico de Chiloé llega a los cines". RedGol (in European Spanish). 24 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  15. ^ Leclerc, María Fernanda (2023-03-23). "Película "Brujería" del académico Christopher Murray llega a las salas nacionales". Facultad de Comunicaciones (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  16. ^ "Sorcery – Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  17. ^ Holl, Jonathan; 2023-01-22T21:15:00+00:00. "'Sorcery': Sundance Review". Screen. Retrieved 2023-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Magical Chilean Revenge Tale Sorcery Casts a Slow, Tantalizing Spell". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  19. ^ ""Brujería", historia de resistencia indígena que crea sensación en Sundance". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). 26 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  20. ^ Ntim, Zac (2023-01-10). "Göteborg Film Festival Unveils Competition Titles & Honorary Dragon Award For Swedish Filmmaker Jan Troell". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  21. ^ ""Brujería" de r Christopher Murray premio Cine+ en el festival Cinélatino". Cine de Género Latinoamericano (in Spanish). 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  22. ^ Gilabert, Valentina (2023-07-08). "Películas chilenas que conquistan el extranjero: "Brujería" gana importante premio en Corea del Sur". Cinechile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  23. ^ "Nominados Premios Caleuche 2024". Premios Caleuche (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-14.

External links[edit]

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