Program Note
After losing their mother, Alan and his father, Alberto, move to a new house. The atmosphere within the housing complex feels as if they are isolated within fences, as the neighbors do not welcome Alan and his father. Enduring bizarre hostility and loneliness, Alan begins to believe that his father is actually a werewolf, after receiving a message left by his uncle. Jorge Michel Grau’s latest film, Rage shares several connecting points with his previous work, Somos lo que hay (2010), which offered a new direction for Mexican genre films. The prominent elements of the werewolf are interconnected with various problems faced by contemporary Mexican society, such as exclusion, isolation, class issues and the absence of communication,and creates a dense, multi-layered story. The director’s unflinching gaze into the complex psychology, conflicts, and fears inherent in familiar relationships like family and neighbors remains intense and powerful. (Jin PARK)