Is That You?

A permanent feeling of fear. Fear that becomes normal. And leads to lies to survive. And murder. In this first psychological horror film to come out of Cuba, the story of a young girl controlled by her father mirrors the real fear in a country that has long-struggled with the oppressive terror of a dominating power. Avoiding the familiar clichés of Havana, and drawing on his own experiences of growing up under the rule of Castro, Sánchez journeys into the dark territory of quiet terror. Thirteen year-old Lily is girl of few words. Living in the rural countryside, she silently goes about her daily chores in the service of her domineering father, Eduardo. Her mother remains chained inside their isolated shack – there is price to pay for disobedience. And a fine line between hatred and love. When Eduardo suddenly goes missing, the girl and her mother are no longer trapped. But for young Lili, his absence terrorizes her more than his presence did. Desperate to find him, she carries out a dark ritual and uncovers the truth about his disappearance that will unleash the slow-burning horror of her enslavement. With a gravitas that belies her age, Gabriela Ramos is a revelation as Lili – the haunting face of the consequence of fear. (Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg)