Francisco Vargas Quevedo's debut feature, The Violin, expanded from his well-received short of the same name, is a tender and exceptionally poignant drama. Set in a small Mexican village during the uprisings of the seventies, the film portrays the tensions between the peasants and military in the Guerrero region. Shot in stunning black and white and unfolding with a dreamlike languor, it transcends traditional social commentary. The Violin is a tribute to the curative nature of art, as well as a beautiful story about a father's love for his family and the sacrifice of an unlikely hero.

The quietly dignified Don Plutarco (Don Ángel Tavira), his son Genaro (Gerardo Taracena) and grandson Lucio (Mario Garibaldi) make a humble living as traveling musicians. They also collect supplies and ammunition for the guerrilla movement that has arisen in response to the tyrannical regime.Upon returning to their hometown after one journey, they find it has been occupied by the army and their fellow villagers have been forced into hiding. Genaro leaves to find a way to salvage the supplies. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to his son, Plutarco attempts to recover the ammunition himself and courageously approaches the squad captain (Dagoberto Gama).

The elderly Plutarco does not appear to present a threat; rather, he’s a sweet, elderly man with a gift for the violin. In exchange for playing music, Plutarco is allowed to go into his cornfields, where he secretly removes cached ammunition, smuggling it bit by bit in his violin case. The visual juxtaposition of the slight old man with his weathered face and stoic expression playing exquisite music — while missing one hand, no less — to the overfed general is deeply stirring. The injustice of the situation is poetically expressed: the peasant is armed with a musical instrument, while the fatsos have the guns. The tension mounts with each meeting. How far will Plutarco be able to take this game?

Vargas Quevedo displays an art for storytelling and eliciting an emotional response from his audience. Don Plutarco’s bravery and sacrifice are deeply moving, the trials of the villagers compelling. This timely film captures both the unfairness of victimization and the boundlessness of familial love. - Diana Sanchez