Emma Soares on a contemplative film that nevertheless carries a strong message.
By Emma Soares
Concrete Valley tells the touching story of a family that immigrates to Canada. The film follows several characters but focuses on the father of the family and the mystery surrounding his sudden disappearance in the forest one strange afternoon. The father takes an important role in the story and tries to help the neighborhood where they live by offering care to members of the community. The many contemplative scenes allow us to imagine the nostalgia and loneliness that immigrants face in their host country.
A Better Future
This contemplative atmosphere carries the film and gives the viewer a unique experience during the screening. The wide shots force us to lose ourselves in the story and its characters and better understand the difficulties they go through in their immigration journey, but also as a family and couple. The story portrays endearing characters such as the mother, who gave up her acting career by leaving her country. The parents came to Canada in hopes of providing a better future for their son but are quickly overwhelmed trying to navigate their own lives in a new country. This is not an actively political film, but simply attempts to show a more sensitive and positive face of immigration in order to break down stereotypes. The actors deliver a heartbreaking performance that takes our breath away, especially at the end. Concrete Valley is a beautiful representation of the vast forest that is life, in which we too often get lost. It reminds us that sometimes we have to stop and ask for directions.
