To the West, in Zapata (Filmfest Aachen 2025)

In the organizer's words:

This screening is part of Filmfest Aachen 2025

2025, Cuba, 74 min, David Bim, Spanish, NRW Premiere
original version with english subtitles

To the West, in Zapata is David Bim's unique contribution to slow cinema - a meditative, atmospheric film set in Cuba's remote Zapata swamp. At its center is Landy, who leaves his wife and child to hunt crocodiles and provide for his family. Through long, immersive shots, the film captures not just his journey but the swamp's textures and rhythms. Dialogue is minimal; instead, wind, water, and earth speak. A quiet, unsentimental portrait of survival and care on the margins, where time slows and silence carries weight.

With To the West, in Zapata, David Bim makes a unique contribution to slow cinema. The atmospheric, meditative film is set in the remote Zapata swamp region in Cuba and tells the silent story of Landy, who leaves his family to hunt crocodiles. In long, immersive shots, the film not only shows his journey, but also the landscape and the waiting. The rhythm of the swamp sets the pace, words are rare - wind, water and earth speak for themselves. A tender, unsentimental portrayal of life on the margins of society.

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