A rapturous crime fable set in the Dominican Republic, Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias’ COCOTE follows Alberto, a kind-hearted gardener returning home to attend his father’s funeral. When he discovers that a powerful local figure is responsible for his father’s death, Alberto realizes that he’s been summoned by his family to avenge the murder. It’s an unthinkable act — especially for him, an Evangelical Christian. But as pressure mounts, he sees few ways out. Questions of faith, tradition and honor course through this electrifying film, which, seemingly at the speed of thought itself, jumps between film formats, colors, and aspect ratios, radically envisioning a community torn asunder by senseless violence.
Direction
Format-hopping that mirrors Alberto's fractured psyche
Cinematography
16mm, digital, and video textures collide gloriously
Sound
Salve music becomes a character itself
Director
Nelson Carlos de los Santos Arias
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Salve is a sacred Afro-Dominican musical tradition rarely depicted in cinema; Arias grew up hearing it at rural funerals.
The aspect ratio shifts aren't random—narrower frames increasingly trap Alberto as family pressure mounts.
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