‘Wakolda’ is now showing in US theaters

“Wakolda”, the Argentine film written and directed by Lucía Puenzo, premiered to critical acclaim in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and is now showing in theaters across the U.S.

It’s name is not only the title of the novel from which the film was adapted, also titled as “The German Doctor,” but it’s the name of a very important doll integral to the plot.

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This movie is about Josef Mengele (Alex Brendemühl), the infamous Nazi war criminal, who meets an Argentine family reopening an inn opposite Lake Nahuel Huapi (Patagonia).

The New York Times reported it’s, “A creepy thriller in Argentina about Nazis hiding in Patagonia in 1960, Puenzo used the idea from her eponymous novel. The director was present at Cannes a few years ago, screening her controversial and compelling film ‘XXY.’  With her latest effort ‘Wakolda,’ she creates a mysterious world around secrets and family lies.”

The film stars Natalia Oreiro and Diego Peretti and has received mostly positive reviews in the USA. It was praised by “The New York Times” and “Entertainment Weekly,” while others, like “Variety” and “Village Voice,” raised some criticism. On average, it received a 66% favorable reviews according to Rotten Tomatoes, a website which averages various published reviews.

With its successful screenings in the United States, “Wakolda” strives to become an international affair, with premieres in several countries in Latin America, Asia and Europe. In addition, the film was nominated for the Goya Award  in the category of Best Latin American Film,  was featured in Cannes’  “A Certain Look” program and was sent by Argentina to the preselection of the Oscars, although it was not selected.

“Le Monde” in France reported it’s, “A thriller full of mystery, powerful and emotional images, that confirms the sensitivity of the Director of ‘XXY.’”

The film traces the imaginary journey of Mengele through the Bariloche region in 1960. There, the German community helps the Nazi physician, who continues with his aberrant experiments in the area. He stumbles upon a couple with three children on his way to Bariloche, where the couple runs the lodge on the lake.  The couple is pregnant and Mengele, who stays in the new hotel with the family, is obsessed with  their pregnancy and the child born later, Lilith, who has growth problems. Mengele,  whose true identity the family ignores, offers to “heal” the child.

Even though some might see the movie as a conspiracy thriller, some agree the development of the plot if more about revealing the dark character of the German doctor.

Natalia Oreiro demonstrates her talent as an actress in a difficult role. Diego Peretti is, as always, wonderful, and Alex Brendemühl, of surprising resemblance to Mengele, is fantastic in his role. This is a film to watch if you like bold, non-commercial cinema, with a twist.

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