With her feature debut, “The Chambermaid,” Mexican writer-director Lila Avilés materialized a graceful character study of a hardworking mother.
Though enriched via the meaningful interjections of its supporting players, the narrative had a singular focus. For her follow-up, “Tótem,” Avilés has now confected an intimate ensemble piece from a family’s acts of tenderness as experienced through the sorrowful gaze of a young girl.
A luminous and soul-nourishing microcosm built on profound love in the face of impending grief, the film reveals itself in the charged interactions between its multiple characters.
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