'Fistful Of Dirt': Sebastián Silva's Latest Is A Post-Hurricane Maria Tragic Fable [Telluride Review]

Known for an affinity of making uncomfortable, challenging provocations about alienation, class, and privilege, ever since 2009’s critically acclaimed, “The Maid,” Hollywood stars like Kristen Wiig, Micheal Cera, Juno Temple, and Emily Browning, have lined up to work with Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Silva. The Brooklyn-based writer/director, who tends to work at a quick clip, already has one 2018 film in the can: Sundance’s ensemble “Tyrel” poking the hornet’s nest about race and white ignorance. But at the Telluride Film Festival this past weekend, the filmmaker unveiled yet another movie, and something much different this time — the surprise, unannounced picture “Fistful of Dirt,” a far more stripped-down affair, shot entirely in Puerto Rico without any known American stars.

Set in the devastating aftermath of post-Hurricane Maria in the forsaken U.S. territory, “Fistful of Dirt” cannot help but take on social dimension given the way the current administration abandoned the Island of Enchantment, but ultimately, it’s only implicitly political — the modestly-scaled indie is more of a fantasy, and a dark, tragic fairytale at that. Yet, also a humanist story. Based on a loose idea from 11+ years ago and shot on the quick, Silva’s ‘Dirt’ centers on a young boy, Yei Yei (Julio Gaston), with a dying mother who discovers a kind of creature-like mermaid trapped in the dirty, festering lagoons of Puerto Rico following the tempest, separated from its mer-family.

Yei Yei’s circumstances are dire. After losing his home and several family members to the deadly storm, including his father, Yei and his bedridden mother are reluctantly taken in by local fisherman Alicio (Modesto Lacén) and his miserablist mother Hilda (Hilda Juana Pizarro). But this is charitable act is conditional. Hilda, distrustful and mean, harangues the young boy about everything and is also on her son’s case about money and provisions. In fairness, life is duro. Electricity and gasoline are practically non-existent and every day is filled with difficulties and hardship.

Struggling to adapt to this challenging new life and too emotionally ill-equipped to fully grasp the concept that his mother is fading before his eyes, Yei runs errands and does chores for Hilda and Alicio, but one fateful day, the discovery of a strange creature in the water changes everything. It’s a mermaid, or a mer-creature, a ghastly-looking CGI thing that looks like a bald, pale, fang-toothed wet monkey with a tail.

Yet the little creepy ghoul enchants Yei and becomes a kind of pet he feeds and visits when the depressing nature of his life is too much to bear. But what emerges initially as a magical finding that gives the curious boy some hope and purpose — maybe he can help reunite the lost creature with his family and do some good — soon becomes harsh when Alicio learns about the creature and its global significance as a discover, he sees dollar signs in his eyes.

“Fistful Of Dirt” then turns, darker, dourer and ultimately tragic, albeit ending in a kind of beautifully poetic heartbreak. Co-written by Pedro Peirano (Silva’s “The Maid” and Pablo Larraín‘s 2012 film “No” starring Gael García Bernal), script-wise, “Fistful of Dirt” isn’t as initially complex and throughout, feels like more of a sketch than a fully-fleshed out screenplay — even arguably something that should have been a short film. That said, the movie’s greatest achievement is the way it cleverly considers its collision of fantasy and realist sensibilities.

Most films take the greed approach: Alicio, an opportunist, exploits this situation and child for financial gain. He’s the antagonist, etc. But in “Fistful of Dirt” where everyone is dying, starving, and can’t afford oxygen tanks for their poor, sick ailing mothers, any supposed moral clarity turns murky fast.

As Yei Yei, Gaston and his expressive, melancholy eyes, is solid and he anchors the movie even when it begins to stray and become a little bit too depressing in the third act. While its story is thin, its emotional undercurrent has a strong pull with poignantly topical notions of empathy, grief, and mercy.

A minimalist score by composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (“Enemy,” “The Gift”) is sparely-used but strikes an affecting chord regardless. In the end, “Fistful Of Dirt,” is a small, more minor work from Silva, and without brand name stars, it’s likely going to draw far less attention than his more recent works. Regardless of its reach, ‘Dirt’ is still a sincere, worthwhile, ultimately sad tale of death, holding on and letting go, and should echo as a resonant parable about the forgotten forced to endure suffering. [B]

Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Telluride Film Festival here.