The Kid Who Lies

Venezuela, Peru, 2011, 99 min, Spanish

A thirteen-year-old boy is searching for his mother. Ten years ago, she was carried off by a mudslide, he says, and now he has set off to find her. His search takes him to the coast of Venezuela. He survives by recounting tales of the terrible catastrophe and what happened to his mother: “She lost her memory during the tragedy. A rock almost killed me but she pulled me away. And if you don’t believe me I’ll show you my scar.” Sometimes it’s his father who dies in these narratives. Or sometimes a pack of wild dogs tears his mother to pieces. Another time, his life is saved by a wardrobe in which his mother places him for safety. The boy is lying and yet, all of his stories contain much that is truthful. And so, gradually, everything he has gone through begins to take shape. Ten years ago his childhood was brought to an end by a natural disaster. Many people have been missing ever since – including his mother. The boy still has a long way to go, but, in time, his wounds will heal.

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