A WAY FOR TOMAS, 29min., Columbia
Directed by Andrés Ricaurte / Martín Agudelo Ramírez

Tomás, desperate, knocks insistently on the door of a lonely house. Nobody opens it. When he leaves the place, he sees some bushes moving and goes into a wooded path. Along the way, from his memories, he faces several episodes of fear in his life until he reaches the exit of the path, which takes him back to the door of the house. Tomás enters and talks with a woman (who represents death), at which point he decides to face his fears.

REVIEW by Victoria Angelique

The powerful Columbian film, A WAY FOR TOMÁS imparts a powerful message that will stick with the viewer. The idea of confronting Death head on certainly isn’t unique, but it’s rarely done in such a profound and memorable way through every part of a film is rare. The attention is captured instantly through the beautiful cinematography. Every shot is carefully designed, to enhance the struggles that Tomás has been going through his entire life.

The story begins with Tomás meeting with his younger self, at the moment where his ability to dream of the future died with the death of his father. The focus of a toy airplane signifying life to the young boy when Death takes his dad is a powerful tool to show how significant a parent’s role plays in a person’s life. He allows himself to become afraid to live and love as Tomás goes through his past selves, relishing in the dark moments over the happy ones. The soundscape aids in the storytelling by allowing sound and visuals to tell the story, overshadowing the dialogue as the struggles Tomás faces plays out on the screen.

The dialogue is carefully crafted, especially in regards to Death. The wisdom in her words could be spoken to anyone resigned to sadness and anger like Tomás when he confronts her face to face. She’s straightforward, but a message that many need to actually live their life rather than just existing in this world. The fact that Death gives Tomás a choice shows the importance of free will. She could have very easily gone on her way without confronting this particular lost soul, but his emotional state was taking over his entire world so it left her with no choice but to force him to face his fears.

The filmmakers leave it open to interpretation whether Tomás chooses to finally live or if he’ll disregard Death’s message, but the important part is the powerful sentiment behind the mythical character’s words. She allowed him to confront his fear of living and of death, but to still continue on his way with the choice to live as he has been or actually live life to its fullest.

A WAY FOR TOMÁS is a beautiful film that directors Andrés Ricaurte and Martin Agudelo Ramierz created as their passion for the material shines through in every frame. It’s a film that deserves every award it has received and stands as a gorgeous work of art.