There is a lot to unpack with The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future, but it is a masterclass in directing and representation of Magical Realism.
In Latin American cinema, there is always the presence of Magical Realism. Magical Realism is a genre that depicts the real world as having magic, what differentiates magical realism from fantasy is that in magical realism, the rules of magic don’t need to be explained, the magic exists alongside the real world.
This genre is most often associated with the late Colombian author, Gabriel García Márquez. Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future is a vivid example of Latin American cinema.
It is a film that is heavily focused on nature, and how humans connect to it, and how in the end, nature is always more powerful. Latin American cinema does not follow the narrative structure that has been established by US American and European films, which is why that is always the criticism it receives.
However, many people are so used to this US American and Eurocentric point of view, that seeing something that is different that does not abide by those rules is sometimes seen as something bad, but in reality it is just a different way of storytelling.
Alegría’s directing is also very heavily focused on nature, establishing from the very beginning that nature is the protagonist, while the humans are second. It is a film that is not going to be for everyone, but Latinx people will be able to connect with it more, due to the prevalent themes that are present in our culture, no matter from which country we come from.
The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future, opens with this otherworldly magic as we see Magdalena come back to life. There are a lot of things going on in this small town in Chile, the fish are dying due to pollution from a nearby factory, and the people are protesting this because it is affecting their livelihoods. Just as this is happening, Magdalena’s family learn of her return, and they are forced to go back to this town to figure out what is going on.
The premise of this film may lead to believe that it will deal with some elements associated with horror, since it follows a woman coming back to life. However, the film ends up being very complex and most of it is left to interpretation, but it is an exploration of grief, a comment on the exploitation of nature, global warming, and gender identity.
There are never any explanations as to why what happens happens, since it all falls under the magical realism previously established, and the point of the story is not to explain everything, because the characters know and they are the ones who need to know, not the audience.
We as an audience are just along for the ride. There’s also the big question, are there actually any cows in this film? Yes, and they play a key role in the film’s exploration of grief, while they do not actually sing, they are essential to the story. There is a lot to unpack with this film, it requires a second viewing to fully understand what Francisca Alegría is saying, but it is a masterclass in directing and representation of Magical Realism.
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Rating: 4 out of 5
About The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future
In a river in the south of Chile, fish are dying due to pollution from the nearby cellulose factory. Amid their floating bodies, long-deceased Magdalena bubbles up to the surface gasping for air, bringing with her old wounds and a wave of family secrets. The shocking sight of Magdalena sends her widowed husband into turmoil and prompts their daughter, Cecilia, to return home to the family’s dairy farm.
There, Magdalena’s presence reverberates among her family, instigating fits of laughter and despair in equal measure with everyone but Cecilia’s eldest child, who seeks her grandmother’s love and unconditional understanding during a time of transition.
The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future played at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
