The Undergrowth

La Hojarasca

TIFF65: Greek Premiere
A plot of land on a Canary Island – not far from the volcano. There are almond trees and animals here; the wine matures in barrels. Three sisters are its legal heirs: one of them, Carmen, cultivates the land to this day; now, Elsa and Maura have also returned, the latter no longer well and dependent on Elsa’s care. There is no breadwinner in sight, the island is run by a matriarchy, albeit an involuntary one; most of the men have emigrated. The sisters deal with the paradoxical nature of their inheritance, at once a task, a burden and the promise of a secure existence in the world. In her poetic feature-length debut, Macu Machín shifts delicately between documentary observation and staging. Whether by way of acting, reconstruction or simply being in front of the camera – the three women’s strategies for life are narrated by the body. The Undergrowth is a film of few words – places and people are revealed through images and allegories. The titular “dead leaves” allude to the passing of time and the finite. As pots bubble and fires crackle, the volcano makes its presence felt, spewing out lava in a manner at once ceremonial and apocalyptic. The everyday – beautiful and unruly.
Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Macu Machín
Script: Macu Machín
Cinematography: Jose Alayón, Zhana Yordanova
Editing: Emma Tusell, Manuel Muñoz Rivas, Ariadna Ribas
Sound: Joaquín Pachón
Music: Jonay Armas
Actors: Carmen Machín, Elsa Machín, Maura Pérez
Production: El Viaje Films
Producers: Jose Alayón, José M. Viña, Jamie Weiss, Jairo López
Executive producer: Marina Alberti, Macu Machín
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: Spain
Production Year: 2024
Duration: 72'
Contact: Split Screen
Awards/Distinctions: Best Director (Ibero-American Feature Film Documentary) – Guadalajara IFF 2024, Best Film – MiradasDoc IFF 2024, Jury Prize – Documenta Madrid 2024

Macu Machín

Macu Machín was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1975. She has had an extensive career as a director of short films. Following a degree in audiovisual communication, she graduated in film directing in Madrid, screenwriting at the EICTV in San Antonio de Los Baños (Cuba), and completed a Master’s degree in documentary filmmaking at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires, where she lived for ten years. She currently lives in the Canary Islands, where she combines her own filmmaking projects with her work as a film editor and teacher at the Instituto del Cine Canarias.

Filmography

2006 Geometría del invierno (short)
2016 El imperio de la luz (short)
2017 El mar inmóvil (short)
2018 Quemar las naves (short)
2024 The Undergrowth