Ex-Voto for Three Souls

An ex-voto is a votive offering to thank God for a miracle, or to ask for one. This is the portrait of three Mexicans, all of whom need such a miracle for different reasons. Christian is a young boxer who is literally trying to fight his way out of poverty; a victory in the ring can be the necessary step to a professional career. Eight-year-old María-Teresa has to have a major heart operation and asks for God to stand by her surgeons. And then there's Luis the fisherman, who wants God to put a stop to the fish shortage and the low profits that come with it. Director Diego Rivera Kohn has managed to translate his subjects' deep faith into a film with atmospheric camerawork, minimal dialogue and solid sound design a film that sweeps the viewer along in the mental states of the three believers.