‘Totem’ Captures a Day in the Life of a Large Latin Family

Director Lila Avilés, who also wrote the screenplay, has crafted something special here: a meditation on family and mortality that spares no emotional quarter, but remains an uplifting experience all the same.

Via Film Forum
Naíma Sentíes in 'Tótem.' Via Film Forum

The press notes accompanying “Tótem,” the new film from Mexican director Lila Avilés, describe it as a “choral film.” As a literary turn of phrase, it’s better suited for Ms. Avilés’s movie than, say, “ensemble piece.” The latter presupposes a group of individual actors who inhabit a story with equal emphasis; “choral” suggests something blended and organic, a whole in which parts aren’t summed up so much as made inviolable.

Have an account? Log In

To continue reading, please select:

Limited Access

Enter your email to read for FREE

Get 1 FREE article

Continue with
or
Unlimited Access

Join the Sun for a PENNY A DAY

$0.01/day for 60 days

Cancel anytime

100% ad free experience

Unlimited article and commenting access

Full annual dues ($120) billed after 60 days

By continuing you agree to our
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Advertisement
The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use