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What the Waters Left Behind

What the Waters Left Behind

2017

Director

Luciano Onetti, Nicolás Onetti

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Epecuén was one of the most important touristic villages of Argentina. Thousands of people concurred, attracted by the healing properties of its thermal waters. On November 10th 1985, a huge volume of water broke the protecting embankment and the village was submerged under ten meters of salt water. Epecuén disappeared. Thirty years later, the waters receded and the ruins of Epecuén emerged exposing a bleak and deserted landscape. The residents never returned. The plot revolves around a group of young people that take a trip to the ruins in order to film a documentary about Epecuén. Ignoring the warnings, and after a brief tour, they get stranded in the abandoned village. Contrary to what they thought, they begin to realize that they are really not alone…

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.7/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film focuses on a small group of filmmakers in a wasteland. It contains no LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing queer identity.

Gender Representation

Fair

Female characters are present within the group, but they lack significant agency. The narrative focuses on shared vulnerability rather than subverting traditional gender hierarchies.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The cast reflects the regional Argentine demographic of Epecuén. It avoids Hollywood's white-normative lens but does not explore explicit intersectional identities.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The setting provides a critique of the fragility of modern civilization. The ruins serve as a commentary on the decay of capitalist and social structures.

Disability Representation

Limited

Characters face physical and psychological distress due to isolation. These struggles are situational genre tropes rather than intentional portrayals of disability or neurodivergence.

Strengths

  • The setting offers a profound critique of the fragility of modern civilization and Western infrastructure.
  • The cast reflects the regional Argentine demographic, avoiding typical Hollywood-centric casting norms.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film lacks LGBTQ+ representation and narratives addressing non-cisnormative identities.
  • Female characters lack significant agency and depth beyond their shared vulnerability to the environment.
  • There is no intentional portrayal of disability or neurodivergence driving the plot.

AI Analysis

The film functions primarily as a minimalist study of environmental and existential collapse. Its narrative utility is centered on atmospheric horror and the breakdown of social order within a desolate landscape. While the setting offers a postmodern commentary on the instability of Western institutions, the character development remains limited. The story prioritizes survivalist dread over the exploration of social identities. Ultimately, the film lacks the character-driven complexity needed to engage with intersectional representation, focusing instead on the deconstruction of human presence in a ruined world.

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