Jauja

In the late 19th century, a Danish engineer travels with his 15-year-old-daughter to the wilderness of Patagonia in the service of the Argentine army as part of its campaign to civilize the landscape and eradicate the defiant native population. One night, however, the young girl and her lover run off in search of a better life beyond the wasteland. The father sets out in pursuit, desperate to find his daughter alive in this inhospitable environment. However, his journey soon becomes an existential experience that extends beyond both time and space. Shot in an old image format, Alonso's film is more plot-based than his previous work, but still retains a sense of defiance towards standard expectations as it deftly avoids any literal interpretations. According to one of the first responses, it is a "metaphysical road movie in which origin and destination are less important than the journey itself." (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)