Sergio Tovar Velarde’s Aurora Boreal is a video testimony of Mariano, a fourteen year old who is about to commit suicide. We gradually get closer to him as we discover the reasons that drove him to such a desperate decision. He is sliding away from his family as he is haunted by the guilt he takes upon himself for the retardation of his younger most brother, the beloved of the family.

The introspection upon the inner torments that drives him to that dark decision slowly unravels the opposite within him: the reasons why he should live. He ends up discovering that suicide does not solve anything. The visuals of the film vibe closely with the dark and disturbing, yet deeply humane, theme.

The narrative makes brilliant use of the documentary format to record the testimonies of people around the protagonist and weaves them together to deliver a positive, life-affirming message. The film reminds one of the words of Carl Gustav Jung: "As far as we can discern the sole purpose of human existence is kindly alight in the darkness of mere being."

Rohini Kumar.
© FIPRESCI 2008