Directed by: Dominga Sotomayor Castillo
Written by: Dominga Sotomayor Castillo
Starring: Francisco Pérez-Bannen, Paola Giannini, Santi Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld
Rating: [3.5/5]
Children live with this beautifully polished view of the world where they can utilize their imagination to block out reality and not fully comprehend something real happening before them. It captures an innocence many wish they could retain when getting older but remains unique to this childlike period of time. Thursday Til Sunday demonstrates how this beautiful bliss gets displayed through the eyes of a young girl on a trip as her parents contemplate splitting.
On their way on a road trip to the North of Chile, Lucia (Santi Ahumada) enjoys the prospect of some time away as she rides along with her parents driving in the front seat. As she plays games with her brother on this drive, her parents up front continue to bicker and drop hints about them splitting up with the kids not knowing this could be the last time they all gather together in this manner.
The impact of divorce has been cataloged aplenty in film because it truly leaves quite a mark on individuals who experience it firsthand as children. Having this occur with young children makes it even more difficult as they barely have a fully defined definition of the world and themselves and then experience the shattering of a foundation they always figured would be there for them. It explains why parents try incredibly hard to ensure the kids know none of the blame for this occurring lies on them. These adult decisions make all of the difference in the lives of these children and they may not even notice the build-up to it.
Seeing this story play out through the perspective of Lucia shows just how much things can slip by a child even if they appear obvious to us as adults. She chooses to envelop herself in activities and actions that bring her comfort creating this bubble around her not allowing the negativity of the situation to impact her too much. Lucia can afford to ignore the inevitable for so much longer and having these moments of happiness despite the reality of what will transpire makes this trip so important and why she wants to enjoy it. This perspective remains clear throughout the feature, especially in the way the camera frames the conversations in the car and how Lucia experiences things. This feature serves as her story and never loses sight of it.
Operating as her feature film debut, Dominga Sotomayor Castillo does something quite special in the way she frames this entire story. Very purposeful with her camera placement and where it rests with Lucia allows for the arguments her parents have to feel more distanced. It allows us to sit in the same spot as her in not fully grasping everything occurring on the adult side and inviting us into her bliss as she continues to have fun with her brother to avoid what scares her deeply in the front row. Sotomayor Castillo utilizes this soft touch in her storytelling to have great sympathy for her lead character showing a sensitivity to the circumstance overall and mixing that with the way she also wrote the film carries just as much of this feeling.
With this trip, the landscape of Chile serves as the background for all of this to occur giving off this beauty these characters wish to experience. If this were to be their last trip together as one cohesive family then they certainly picked the right area to allow this to occur. It immerses the characters in this dreamy escape of an area that does not represent their everyday life, but a vacation as they would like.
Set over a span of four days as the title of the feature indicates, Thursday Til Sunday has a big heart in the way it brings us right into the center of this family in conflict. The adults in the front seat have their own problems they need to reckon with each other and try to do it not at the expense of their children who sit in the back trying to enjoy the final vestiges of this family unit. We get such a strong child performance Santi Ahumada as she becomes our guide throughout the entire feature and the emotions she goes through with what this trip represents. An awe-inspiring debut by Dominga Sotomayor Castillo and someone to definitely keep an eye on as she continues to rise.
Films with Josh 
