“A harrowing but powerful story of one woman’s search for justice.”

There is simply nothing like the love of a parent, especially when it comes to the protection of their children from a cruel and brutal world. It is often said that there are few pains quite as immense as the loss of a child, and in any situation it can be nothing short of tragic. However, some have the added burden of losing their children under mysterious and often violent circumstances, which can only compound the trauma of such an unconscionable loss. This is where we find the protagonist at the start of Five Years, Four Months, a harrowing but powerful story of one woman’s search for justice, written and directed by Juan Miguel Gelacio and Esteban Hoyos García. The story follows Martha, whose son has been missing for over five years. Despite everyone around her insisting that her attempts to find him are futile, she holds onto hope, not entirely ready to accept the likelihood that he was killed. She does what she can to find him, or at least any trace of the child she didn’t expect to lose so suddenly and without even a moment’s warning. It’s a difficult subject for any filmmaker to tackle, and can be challenging to embrace, but Five Years, Four Months is nonetheless a film that strives to leave an impression. It looks at the journey of a woman attempting (perhaps in vain) to find answers to a question that those around her feel is a waste of time, resources and energy, motivated by the desire to know the truth even if she understands that justice is not likely to follow.

Death is a concept that has intrigued and bewildered experts in just about every field, since it is inevitable and something that we will all experience at some point, while still being difficult to understand, at least psychologically. Five Years, Four Months centres on a character who is coming to realise that nothing can prepare her for the loss of a loved one, and that there is no guidebook on how to navigate grief. The story follows her as she attempts to evade accepting that her son has probably died, which she believes but cannot bring herself to admit, at least not openly. Like any film about loss, it attempts to provide a nuanced and delicate portrait of the grieving process, which Gelacio and Hoyos García use to discuss more than just her loss, but also the many people who became victims of decades of violence. The exact circumstances behind the death of Martha’s son (or even his involvement in actions that eventually led to his disappearance) are intentionally kept vague, which forms the central mystery of the story and which inspires the journey of the main character. Martha represents those people who dedicate their entire lives to seeking closure for loved ones who have suffered or perished under a violent system, while also showing that the relentless search for answers can become all-consuming. The urge to obtain justice becomes her entire purpose, which is even more evident as we see other characters who have spent decades on their own missions to find justice for family members whom they refuse to allow to remain nameless victims.

The heaviness of this subject matter is not lost on the people working on the film. It becomes clear that everyone involved understood that it was important to tell this story in a way that feels honest and authentic. Despite the intense topic, the directors consistently make sure that what they are saying comes from a place of sincerity, rather than a hollow attempt to stir discussion. The majority of the film is told through a quiet, stoic approach, where there are momentary bursts of powerful emotion, but only when it is absolutely required. This is reflected in the fact that the film does not take place in the immediate aftermath of the disappearance, but rather several years later, when Martha remains steadfast in her intentions, but when she has been forced to live with the unbearable pain and grief that seemingly nothing can soothe. An avoidance of the more predictable emotions is noticeable from the start, where every moment is designed to feel genuine and controlled. Gelacio and Hoyos García understand that restraint is a powerful device that can be used to effectively tackle such complex issues, where the story gains meaning and nuance through a more elegant but no less emotionally impactful approach.

Five Years, Four Months is a film that doesn’t provide us with the answers we seek, but it does offer some form of closure, particularly when we consider that the story wasn’t chiefly about whether or not Martha would find her son. It was rather about depicting her journey towards healing, something that she (like many parents who lose their children) genuinely does not think is possible, while using this pain to fuel her search for justice. The film is a haunting testament to the people who lose their lives in the ongoing violence that plagues so many societies, and also to those who are left behind fighting to keep their memories alive, regardless of the cost. Whether through the simple but moving direction that allows this difficult story to be told without any unnecessary embellishment, the strong central performance by an excellent Jenny Nava, or the willingness to have a frank and honest conversation about these harrowing ideas, the film understands the right approach to these unsettling truths. By focusing on someone who has made it clear that she does not intend to give up, Five Years, Four Months becomes a stark reminder that the search for certain answers never ends, in much the same way that the wounds can never fully heal. It asks some difficult questions about grief, such as whether the ongoing search for closure is worth the pain of knowing the truth, or if it is sometimes easier to live with the ambiguity, which can keep some sliver of hope alive, rather than accepting the inevitable. It all ultimately works towards the central idea that there is nothing as ironclad as a parent seeking justice for a child they have lost, and that while it is often easier to retreat, confronting reality is a vital step towards the journey to healing and honouring those who have been lost under tragic circumstances.