Los Tortuga - The Exiles: An exploration of all kinds of Growing Pains

Light Spoilers below.

If you have South American heritage, this story will make sense to you.

If you moved around a lot, this film will make sense to you.

If you have lost someone this story will resonate with you.

Los Tortuga/The Exiles deals with a family tree’s branches growing in multiple different directions, some start out intertwined then grow apart. Some get singed off, some dry out. All this happens against the backdrop of present day Spain and its employment crisis.

At the heart is a mother-daughter relationship that gets pulled at from all ends, yet endures through it, the colours that become visible throughout their ordeal are fascinating. Antonia Zegers delivers a stellar performance. The film prefers a slower speed and the cinematography engulfs you, to make you feel like you are sitting right there at the table, enjoying the view of the olive trees on a Spanish afternoon.