Rancho Quemado

Masha, an 11-year-old girl, suddenly moves with her mother Elisa to her grandmother Dinia’s house, who is beginning to lose her memory. The coexistence among these three women triggers a delusion around the presence of a man inside the house whom no one else sees.

Victor, a hermit, desperately searches for a cow that has disappeared from his small ranch. He suspects an Indigenous neighbor with whom he has had previous conflicts. The arrival of Ricardo, his 12-year-old grandson, awakens childhood traumas that blur with present fears. Protecting his grandson from the supposed threat becomes a fatal obsession, forcing Victor to confront the ghost of his past.

Every afternoon, a strange fog covers Domingo’s ranch and brings with it a special visitor: the ghost of Marília, his late wife. When his land is set to be expropriated for a new highway, his worst fear becomes reality: losing his property means losing contact with his wife’s spirit. Desperate, Domingo starts setting fires to sabotage the construction, but his plan begins to spiral out of control.

This feature documentary embarks on a journey through Nicaragua, delving into the intimacy, poetry, and humanity of Ernesto Cardenal.

Masha, an 11-year-old girl, suddenly moves with her mother Elisa to her grandmother Dinia’s house, who is beginning to lose her memory. The coexistence among these three women triggers a delusion around the presence of a man inside the house whom no one else sees.

Victor, a hermit, desperately searches for a cow that has disappeared from his small ranch. He suspects an Indigenous neighbor with whom he has had previous conflicts. The arrival of Ricardo, his 12-year-old grandson, awakens childhood traumas that blur with present fears. Protecting his grandson from the supposed threat becomes a fatal obsession, forcing Victor to confront the ghost of his past.

Every afternoon, a strange fog covers Domingo’s ranch and brings with it a special visitor: the ghost of Marília, his late wife. When his land is set to be expropriated for a new highway, his worst fear becomes reality: losing his property means losing contact with his wife’s spirit. Desperate, Domingo starts setting fires to sabotage the construction, but his plan begins to spiral out of control.

This feature documentary embarks on a journey through Nicaragua, delving into the intimacy, poetry, and humanity of Ernesto Cardenal.