“La Civil,” tells the story of Cielo, a mother whose teenage daughter is kidnapped in Northern Mexico. When the authorities offer no support in the search, Cielo takes matters into her own hands and transforms from housewife into a vengeful militant.
Premiering as part of the Cannes 2021 Un Certain Regard lineup, “La Civil,” based on true events, naturally treads familiar territory but it’s an impressive debut by Teodora Ana Mihai and features worthwhile performances. Mihai is a Romanian-Belgian documentarian who utilizes gritty realism with lots of unbroken takes and shallow depths of field – the camera never leaves Cielo’s side. Her angles and movement during action scenes are unlike most thrillers. While some are exhausted by another Mexican film in this genre – San Fernando has seen its share of violence and disappearances over the last decade – why should artists stop portraying the conflict?
Set in Northern Mexico, the film begins with middle-aged Cielo (Arcelia Ramírez) chatting with her daughter Laura who is getting ready to meet her friend Lisandro. Laura gives her mother some lipstick to wear and leaves. While out driving, Cielo is cut off by an SUV. A young tattooed man with a big razor cut in his eyebrow approaches her and calmly states “If you want to see your daughter again, meet me in ten minutes.” Cielo is impatiently waiting and the young hoodlum says he’s El Puma (Daniel Garcia), along with his smirking associate. Cielo must pay them 150,000 Pesos and relinquish the keys to her ex-husband’s pickup truck for the ransom. Cielo, like many working-class people, doesn’t have that much money (they don’t care as long as she pays and no cops or federal troops are involved).
Cielo’s ex-husband Gustavo (Alvaro Guerrero) is initially dismissive of Cielo’s kidnapping claim until he realizes it’s serious. Although Gustavo doesn’t take it seriously enough and withdraws only the partial amount, which Cielo protests. They meet El Puma at a cemetery but are unable to tell them not the full amount. They wait for hours but there’s no sign of Laura. Don Quique (Eligio Melendez) is a local narco boss who offers Cielo a loan in exchange for “handling merchandise” (the local gangsters always find a way to profit off of tragedy).
The second payoff is way out of town and much more tense. El Puma exits the vehicle with two young men pointing AK-47’s (they’re pining to pull the triggers). El Puma says his cartel boss’s father was hard on him for being light with the funds. They abruptly leave Cielo and Gustavo without giving any further details on Laura other than she’s safe and gets on with their cook.
Out of options, Cielo files a police report. The police are useless and scold her for not coming earlier, crudely suggesting Laura’s probably in cahoots with the cartel. Finally, Cielo approaches a truck of federal troops and they warn her it is dangerous to talk in public. The sympathetic Sgt. Lamarque (Jorge A. Jimenez) gives her a number to call in case of an emergency.
On the news bulletin: “Two bodies have been dumped in the city’s center before commuters’ eyes, the victims’ bodies showed signs of torture and were decapitated.” Cielo heads to the morgue where she pleads with a pathologist to let her view the two bodies. The camera, in one take, captures bodies held in whatever space is available, bones and skulls of unidentified people lining a desk, and finally, Cielo enters a room full of corpses. She has mixed feelings – relieved her daughter isn’t one of the bodies – but overwhelmed by all the death and lack of closure. The pathologist also confesses that she is at the beck and call of the narcos. They demand she gets their loved ones ready for funerals without paying her a Peso. Back at home, Cielo begins receiving threatening calls.
Laura left behind a pet chameleon and there is a symbolic scene where Cielo wants to kill the reptile but spares it; the animal changes its colors to match her sweater – Cielo is going to adapt as well. She begins stalking the same SUV that El Puma was riding in and notes of all their stops. Cielo approaches a convenience store owner being extorted by the Cartel. The two women bond over the owner similarly losing her son to kidnappers six months prior. The store owner finally names Commander Inez, a red-headed crime boss who claims a rival cartel took her son, who tells her she must pay for protection every month.
Later that night, bullets fly through Cielo’s quaint house and the shooters set her car on fire. This incident brings back Sgt. Lamarque who is much more receptive after seeing the damage. Lamarque offers to help her but she is sworn to secrecy and warns things could “get ugly.” Ultimately the film stays grounded while Cielo does extraordinary things.
There have been dozens of films depicting the Mexican drug war and “La Civil” falls somewhere in between “Identifying Features” (which similarly covered the Zetas Cartel preying on poor citizens in San Fernando) and “Sicario.” Though both films are quite different, they address the abysmal war on drugs and avoid “misery porn.” “Identifying Features” is concerned with the civilian cost of the war, while “Sicario” is more focused on the militaristic approach to facing the war. “La Civil” blends humanity and militant tactics for seeking retribution. Mahi isn’t celebrating the military during their brutal interrogations and gun battles, she’s just sticking to the facts. I recommend looking up Miriam Rodriguez of San Fernando who inspired this unbelievable story.
Official Selection of the 2021 Festival de Cannes
