Punku means portal, and this remarkable supernatural fable opens doors to worlds you may never have dreamt of.
We begin with the discovery of a blinded, bloodied boy by the Amazon. Iván has been missing for two years, and Meshia - a teenager of Matsigenka origin - takes him downriver to the hospital. An unbreakable bond emerges as they navigate a strange, shifting world of dark energy and sensory overload.
In the credits to his second feature, eight years in the making, Juan Daniel Fernandez Molero thanks three presiding influences: David Lynch, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and the legendary Peruvian singer Yma Sumac. While there’s no preparing you for Punku, that gives a flavour of what to expect.
Iván’s dream states are evoked through a tapestry of super 8, 16mm and puppet animation. The writer-director has drawn heavily on his own childhood, and his affinity for the landscape around Qillabamba in southern Peru is written into every frame.
Securing this film for our programme was one of the standout highlights of plotting Flatpack no20. We’re even more delighted to confirm that Juan Daniel Fernández Molero will join us for this UK premiere.
