Selected by the Directors Branch.

The debut film of acclaimed Argentinian writer-director Lucrecia Martel (The Headless Woman, Zama), this bleakly funny look at an extended family on a sweltering February day announced Martel as a filmmaking voice to be reckoned with. With outstanding performances by its cast of largely inexperienced actors, its inventive sound design, and its palpable sense of atmosphere, La Ciénaga is one of the most impressive first films of the century.