The Box

Hatzín is a teenage boy who travels to the northern state of Chihuahua to collect the remains of his dead father, a victim of a mining accident. During his trip back to Mexico City, he encounters Mario, an older man of tough personality and small patience. Hatzín is certain that Mario is his father, and chases him for days until Mario reluctantly offers him work, food and shelter. As days pass by, Mario turns out to be a corrupt dealer in a clothes factory, treating their employees in exploitative - and sometimes cruel - manners. Hatzín is a fast learner apprentice, and eventually finds himself in conflict between working in such unethical environment and maintaining the affective bond with his supposed father.

Contrasting the bright colours of hot summer days with the whiteness of a snowy winter, the cinematography follows Mexico’s vast and empty landscapes to highlight Hatzín loneliness. The Box is a touching and heartbreaking story of family ties, in which the cruelty of the manufacturing industry in Mexico is explored.