Carlos Reygadas’s Silent Light was an absolute revelation, and one of the most moving and mysterious films I’ve seen recently. Set in a conservative Mennonite community on the Mexican border, Reygadas turns an almost ethnographic, documentary eye on this story of marriage and adultery. The narrative is simple, the story beats exceedingly familiar, but the long shots, quiet rhythms, and performances from nonprofessional actors all ground the film and make the final moments into something breathtaking and transcendent. While the film starts from the point of view of an adulterous husband, the perspective slowly shifts and is handed off to the dutiful wife and pragmatic mistress. It’s a subtle, but powerful shift for this story set within a repressive religious community. The final moments convey an unspeakable grace and wordless bond between women who survive within these patriarchial societies.
