A town of contradictions comes to life in Sofía Petersen’s debut “Olivia” which had its world premiere Aug. 13 at Locarno’s Filmmakers of the Present. Filmed on 16mm Kodak Ektachrome across a non-stop 45 day shoot, Petersen expands her exploration of mysticism and disappearance in southernmost Argentina – plunging head-first into a father-daughter relationship upended in the sleepy mountains of Tierra del Fuego.

Produced by the U.K.’s Animitas Cine, with Vitrine Filmes and San Sebastian’s Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, “Olivia” first caught attention by receiving post-production support from the Rotterdam Festival’s HBF+Europe program in 2024. It then played Ventana Sur’s Dale selection in December.

The fluidity that is so perceptible in “Olivia” goes back to its genesis. For Petersen, mee

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