The Wolf House (La Casa Lobo)

Presented by The Loft Cinema, the UA Center for Latin American Studies and Cinema Tropical

Programmed by Orquidea Morales

Combining stop-motion techniques, painting, and photography, this exquisitely handcrafted animation feature tells the story of Maria, a young woman who finds refuge in a house in the south of Chile after escaping from a sect of German religious fanatics. She is welcomed into the home by two pigs, the only inhabitants of the place. Like in a dream, the universe of the house reacts to Maria’s feelings, morphing and changing around her. The animals transform slowly into humans and the house becomes a nightmarish world. Inspired by the actual case of Colonia Dignidad during Chile’s darkest years under Augusto Pinochet, The Wolf House masquerades as an animated fairy tale produced by the leader of the sect in order to indoctrinate its followers.  (Dir. by Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña, Chile, in Spanish with English subtitles, 2018, 72 mins., Not Rated)

The special series CineMÁS: Horror celebrates Latin American horror cinema with three wonderful titles from Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, all which masterfully weave terrifying genre conventions with local traditions, histories, and stories to become larger national political allegories.  CineMÁS: Horror is the inaugural series of the larger initiative CineMÁS, presented by The Loft Cinema, the UA Center for Latin American Studies and Cinema Tropical to promote Latin American cinema in Tucson, and foster local audiences for its exhibition.