Latin American Film Festival: La Palabra de Pablo

This film from El Salvador was loosely based on Othello in that we have one character stoking jealousy and distrust in another, and it doesn’t end well. Pablo’s father has recently taken up with a young girl who is almost his age, and in retribution for an earlier betrayal, Pablo convinces his father that his new lover has been unfaithful with his step-brother. We only learn about this childhood betrayal in cut-away shots that gradually become longer, allowing the viewer to finally make sense of this betrayal and its effect on Pablo. The whole family goes away to an island for a holiday, which provides a lot of striking scenery and a sense of mounting dread, where Pablo’s plan comes to an inevitable ending.