Movies: Laguna (2025) by Sharunas Bartas: A Poignant Journey Through Grief and Renewal

A Familial Odyssey in the Mexican Mangroves Laguna is a deeply emotional drama directed and written by Sharunas Bartas that follows a father and his younger daughter Una as they retrace the steps of Ina Marija, the elder daughter and sister, who passed away too soon. Set on the Pacific coast of Mexico amidst the resilient mangroves, the film navigates themes of grief, healing, and the cyclical nature of life and nature. The narrative is anchored in the natural rebirth of a hurricane-battered lagoon, reflecting the tender and enduring terrain of familial love and loss.

Where to watch: https://www.mymovies.it/one/movie/18465-laguna/ (2-7 September, Biennale Channel)

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37963565/

About movie: https://cineuropa.org/en/film/482510/

Why to Recommend Laguna: An Intimate and Naturalistic Exploration of Loss

• Offers an honest and raw examination of grief through personal and familial lenses

• Showcases the healing power of nature, using the Mexican mangroves as a metaphor for resilience and renewal

• Directed by Sharunas Bartas, known for his sensitive and atmospheric filmmaking style

• Features the real-life involvement of the director and family, adding layers of authenticity and emotional depth

What is the Trend Followed: Autobiographical and Meditative Documentary-Style Cinema

• Focuses on personal storytelling rooted in real experiences and emotions

• Blends documentary and narrative filmmaking techniques to create a reflective cinematic meditation

• Emphasizes the healing connection between humans and nature

• Explores themes of memory, loss, and rebirth in a poetic visual style

Director’s Vision: A Personal and Transparent Act of Emotional Transmission

• Sharunas Bartas uses the film as a deeply personal tribute to his late daughter, transforming grief into art

• The film marks a shift in the director’s creative journey, documenting an emotional passage rather than a traditional narrative

• Incorporates collaboration with family members to enrich the emotional honesty

• Seeks to reconnect life’s cycles and emotions through cinematic language

Themes: Grief, Nature, and Renewal

• The process of mourning and coming to terms with loss

• The enduring power of familial bonds beyond death

• The natural cycles of destruction and rebirth mirrored in the environment

• The interplay between human vulnerability and resilience

• Memory as a living force connecting past and present

Key Success Factors: Emotional Authenticity and Poetic Storytelling

• Grounded in the director’s real-life experiences, lending powerful authenticity

• Unique setting in Mexico’s mangroves offers striking visual and symbolic resonance

• Recognized for sensitive and lyrical filmmaking style

• Strong collaborative efforts among the family members featured in the film

• Shifts traditional documentary methods into a poetic cinematic experience

Awards & Nominations: Selected for Prestigious Film Festivals Laguna has been officially selected for screening at the 2025 Venice Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori, highlighting its critical recognition and anticipated impact within the global film community.

Critics Reception: Acclaimed for Emotional Depth and Visual Poignancy

• Reviews praise Laguna as a haunting and essential work that touches universal emotions of grief and healing

• Critics highlight the film’s meditative pace, immersive natural settings, and intimate exploration of family bonds

• The film is lauded for its honesty and the compelling emotional transparency of the director’s vision

Reviews: Positive Feedback for Its Meditative and Honest Portrayal

• Viewers acknowledge Laguna’s slow, contemplative style that allows profound emotional engagement

• Praised for its poetic imagery and the sincere depiction of the grieving process

• Recognized as a significant personal statement from Sharunas Bartas, resonating deeply with audiences seeking thoughtful cinema

Movie Trend: Autobiographical and Nature-Rooted Poetic Cinema The film follows the growing trend of deeply personal, meditative films that merge autobiography with environmental reflection, blurring boundaries between documentary and narrative cinema.

Social Trend: Addressing Grief and Family in Contemporary Cinematic Expression Laguna embodies a social movement toward candid storytelling about loss and healing, offering audiences a space for empathy and reflection beyond conventional cinematic forms.

Final Verdict: Laguna is a profound and visually poetic meditation on grief and renewal, marked by Sharunas Bartas’s personal engagement and lyrical filmmaking. Its honest portrayal of familial love intertwined with the resilience of nature makes it a vital and moving experience for viewers drawn to emotionally rich and contemplative films.