“Il Dominio della Lacrima” by Manuel Koch

Digital cinema gave the possibility to very young crews to build from scratch projects that would have been impossible only 10 years ago. Thanks to a cheaper market of film cameras and equipment, young directors and crew are shooting all around the world indie films with micro-budget, distributing them to festivals worldwide. Usually the result is technically lacking even if is somewhat interesting in some aspects of the plot or writing, but in this case, the result is visually thrilling. “Lacrymosa – Il Dominio della Lacrima” a 4-years indie project by young italian director Manuel Koch, is a pleasant surprise.

Where the film shines the most is in its technical quality compared to the budget it had. Cinematography is very interesting, with soft, shallow depth of field and its low-key scenes that are very well lit, and it has some beautiful night shots. Many indie movies with a higher budget can’t reach this level of quality. Sound is also interesting, with a disturbing work on the close-ups that well contributes to the atmosphere of the film. The original soundtrack is also noteworthy.

The plot of the film is a mixture of different genres, from thriller films to fantasy. It revolves around a mysterious location, Amongwood, where the protagonist will find a creature that is able to make him live illusory sensations like they’re real. The screenplay has many speculative moments in which philosophical arguments are brought to the attention of the spectators.

The only part where the movie is lacking is in the dubbing of many of the actors voices. The cast has been assembled among amateur actors that could not properly stand up to their characters, but nonetheless they manage to act in an interesting way. It would be really interesting to see this director confronting himself with a cast of high profile actors.

While we question ourselves about the illusory nature of happiness and desires, and wonder where truth and lies meet inside our soul, “Lacrymosa” drives us through the enigma behind Amongwood with good taste and entertainment. If all the young boys in our cinema industry had these talent, we could expect something really interesting from the next generation of filmmakers.