Poachers

A local Spanish governor, still impetuous and spoilt in middle age, hunts with his cronies in a forest where his former nurse runs an inn. Such insolences as seeing this figure of authority in relation to his childhood nanny underlie much of this muted and beautifully observed film. Spanish publicity for Furtivos challenged Franco's description of Spain as 'a peaceful forest' by asking 'What is rotting beneath the silence of a peaceful forest?' Thus, the family tragedy at the film's centre is related on several levels: individual, generational, political, and religious. The nurse, bitter and perhaps incestuous, is usurped by a runaway girl brought to stay by her only son. After years of repression and forced servility, she finally cracks when presented with her son's spontaneous, guilt-free relationship with the girl. Strong performances, photographed with beautiful precision.