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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 (2023-03-16) (Mexico)
  • March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23) (Chile)
Running time
100 minutes
CountriesChile
Mexico
Germany
LanguagesSpanish
Mapudungun
German

Sorcery (Spanish: Brujería) is a 2023 international co-production fantasy drama film directed by Christopher Murray and co-written by Murray and Pablo Paredes.[1] The film stars Valentina Véliz[2] and is inspired by a true story involving accusations of witchcraft against members of the Recta Provincia organization in 1880.[3] It was nominated for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.[4]

Plot

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In late 19th-century Chiloé, Rosa, an indigenous girl, and her father work for German settlers who raise sheep. After a lamb massacre, German patriarch Stefan accuses the indigenous locals. When Rosa's father intervenes, he is killed by Stefan's dogs. Rosa seeks justice from the town mayor, but the mayor, unwilling to upset the German settlers, refuses to act. Turning to the church, Rosa finds a guardian in the priest who arranges for her to stay with Mateo, an indigenous elder who lives alone.

Mateo takes Rosa in and she helps him with fishing. They visit her father's grave, and Mateo tells her that her father's spirit belongs to the sea. Overwhelmed by grief, Rosa tries to drown herself but Mateo saves her. Rosa then asks Mateo to seek justice for her father. Mateo agrees to consult the indigenous community. Shortly after, Stefan's sons disappear, and the mayor arrests Mateo and other locals. With Mateo imprisoned, Rosa is taken in by a local witch and, after witnessing Mateo's torture, she renounces Christianity and embraces the island's native religion under the witch's guidance.

During a ritual involving skin-wearing, Rosa and the witch are captured by Stefan. The mayor, eager to resolve the situation for a promotion, offers leniency if Mateo's people save his ailing wife and unborn child. Mateo initially resists but is persuaded by Rosa. Rosa successfully saves the mayor's family with her new witchcraft skills, but the mayor breaks his promise, declaring the ritual skin to be from Stefan's children and sentencing all prisoners to death.

Mateo dies in jail, and the remaining prisoners perform a ritual where Rosa wears Mateo's skin, transforming into a powerful dog. As the dog, Rosa sneaks into the mayor's home and threatens his family. Terrified, the mayor releases Rosa and her friends. Later, Rosa leads another ritual, having fully embraced her new path.[5]

Cast

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

Release

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Festivals

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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

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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

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Critical reception

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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

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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

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  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.
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