Screened as part of NZIFF 2022

Robe of Gems 2022

Manto de gemas

Directed by Natalia López Gallardo

A missing-person case draws three women into an inescapable web in this unsettling narco-thriller from first-time director (but experienced editor) Natalia López Gallardo.

Argentina / Mexico In Spanish with English subtitles
118 minutes DCP

Rent

Director, Screenplay

Producers

Fernanda de la Peza
,
Joaquín del Paso
,
Natalia López Gallardo

Cinematography

Adrian Durazo

Editors

Natalia López Gallardo
,
Omar Guzmán
,
Miguel Schverdfinger

Production designers

Angela Leyton, Yves Roldán

Costume designer

Mary Ann Smith

Music

Santiago Pedroncini

Cast

Nailea Norvind, Antonia Olivares, Aida Roa, Daniel García, Sherlyn Zavala, Balam Toledo

Festivals

Berlin
,
New Directors/New Films 2022

Awards

Jury Prize, Berlin Film Festival 2022

Elsewhere

“Deep in the Mexican countryside, a community is plagued by the constant threat of looming violence. Here, three women from different social classes – a maid, her wealthy employer, and a police officer – become tragically affected by a missing-person case related to organized crime. A work of accruing power and sinister depths simmering below a placid surface, Robe of Gems is the accomplished, unsettlingly oblique debut feature by Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear–winner Natalia López Gallardo (previously an editor for such filmmakers as Carlos Reygadas and Lisandro Alonso). Filled with unshakable images, Robe of Gems weaves an ever-expanding web of characters touched by violence, trauma, and daily rupture.” — New Directors/New Films 2022

“This is a superbly crafted film with impressive cinematography, a rich soundscape, and a strong ensemble. With valuable contributions from her first-rate cast and crew, López Gallardo creates a haunting world marked by violence, loss, and uncertainty. Her methods keep the audience at arm’s length and prove to be quite challenging at times, but the end result is a significant achievement that deserves to be widely seen and discussed.” — Eren Odabası, International Cinephile Society