Written & Directed by

Lila Avilés

Produced by

Tatiana Graullera, Lila Avilés, Louise Riousse

Coproduced by

Per Damgaard Hansen (Paloma Productions), Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre (Alpha Violet Production)

With the support of Eficine Produccion-BBVA, Danish Film Institute, HBF Hubert Bals, Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, CNC, Visions Sud Est with the support of the SDC

Cast

Sol : Naíma Sentíes

Nuri : Montserrat Marañon

Alejandra : Marisol Gasé

Esther : Saori Gurza

Tonatiuh : Mateo García Elizondo

Cruz : Teresita Sánchez

Napo: Juan Francisco Maldonado

Lucía: Iazua Larios

Roberto: Alberto Amador

Crew

Diego Tenorio, Cinematographer

Omar Guzmán, Editor

Guido Berenblum, Sound design

Rune Palving, Sound mixer

Nohemi González Martínez, Art direction

Nora Solís & Jimena Fernández, Costume designers

Vanessa Campos, Make up

Gabriela Cartol & Lila Avilés, Casting

Thomas Becka, Music

Carmina Carballal, Assistant Director

Héctor Zubieta, Line Producer

Festivals

Berlin International Film Festival- OFFICIAL COMPETITION – Ecumenical Jury Award

FEST Belgrade

New Directors/ New Films at Lincoln Center

Cinélatino de Toulouse – AUDIENCE AWARD

Vilnius Film Festival – Critics’ Choice 

Hong Kong International Film Festival- GRAND PRIX Firebird Award

Istanbul Film Festival- Best of Fest

Festival Cinematográfico Internacional del Uruguay- International Competition 

Beijing International Film Festival – BEST DIRECTOR/ BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS/ BEST MUSIC 

Cannes Ecrans Juniors

Shanghai International Film Festival

Flying Broom International Women’s  Film Festival – FIPRESCI AWARD 

FEST New Directors/ New Films – BEST FILM AWARD

Transilvania International Film Festival

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Horizons 

Jerusalem International Film Festival – BEST DIRECTOR AWARD 

New Horizons Festival- Visa Gala 

New Zealand International Film Festival

Durban International Film Festival- BEST DIRECTION AWARD 

Melbourne International Film Festival – SPECIAL JURY MENTION 

Sarajevo Film Festival

Festival de Cine de Lima – BEST FEATURE FILM & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

World Cinema Amsterdam – Competition 

Seoul Women’s International Film Festival – BEST DIRECTOR

Telluride International Film Festival

AFI Fest Latin American

Bucharest International Film Festival – Official Competition

Helsinki International Film Festival

Mill Valley Film Festival

Sante Fe International Film Festival

San Sebastian International Film Festival – Horizontes Latinos 

Festival Biarritz Amérique Latine

TÓTEM is the Official Candidate for the Oscar®

Ourense Film Festival

London BFI Film Festival – Love 

Athens International Film Festival – International Competition 

Viva Mexico (Paris) – AUDIENCE AWARD & THE SORBONNE’S JURY AWARD

Chicago International Film Festival – International Competition

Middleburg Film Festival

Philadelphia Film Festival- HONORABLE MENTION for Best Actor for Naíma Sentíes

Kyiv Critics’ Week

Tokyo International Film Festival – World Focus 

Rio International Film Festival

FIC Gáldar Canarias – BEST FILM 

Ghent International Film Festival

Viennale

Festival de Cine de Morelia- BEST FICTION FEATURE FILM, BEST DIRECTOR & AUDIENCE AWARD 

Jakarta Film Week- GLOBAL FEATURE AWARD 

JIO Mumbai Film Festival

Denver Film Festival – KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FEATURE FILM

Singapore International Film Festival – Horizons 

International Film Festival of Kerala – International Competition 

The Gotham Awards – Best International Feature Nominee 

El Gouna International Film Festival – Official Selection

Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best International Film Nominee 

International Film Festival of Kerala – International Competition 

Chennai International Film Festival – World Cinema

La Habana Film Festival – BEST FILM/ BEST SCRIPT/ BEST DIRECTOR 

2024

Göteborg Film Festival – International Competition

Pune International Film Festival – Global Cinema

MOOOV Film Festival

Outstanding Reviews

Variety – Peter De Bruge “Secrets Are Made and Truths Revealed at an Unforgettable Family Gathering”

The NY Times – Jessica Kiang “Avilés manages to corral both, often in the very same shot, delivering deceptively naturalistic performances that plunge us into a young girl’s first experience of the terrible and beautiful coexistence of life and death.”

Le Monde – Clarisse Fabre “The singularity of the project and the sum of tragicomic events that burst like mini fireworks put us in a state of exhilaration.”

The Playlist – Carlos Aguilar “Tótem feels richer in its sublimely compassionate, cinematic observations on subjects for which words alone wouldn’t suffice”

Screen International – Jonathan Romney “Lila Avilés achieves this feat with elegance and insight in Tótem” , “this thematically rich piece offers a set of vivid character studies, while musing on life, death and time”

The Hollywood Reporter – Leslie Felperin “Tótem packs in a massive amount of drama into a small space, and the rewards are immense”

The Film Stage – Rory O’Conor “a beautiful, bustling portrait of a Mexican family”

ION Cinema – Nicolas Bell “Life and Death of the Party: Avilés’ ensemble piece balances pain & profundity”

The Moveable – Stephen Salto “Lila Avilés’ spellbinding Tótem puts a hold on you”

The Film Verdict – Lucy Virgen ” great sensibility and a strong hand in Tótem”

Loud and Clear – William Sottor  “an expertly crafted family drama that finds human connection and clashes within confined interiors.”

Little White Lies – Marina Ashioti “affective … impressive.. culminating in an extra-sensory experience”

Cineuropa – Fabien Lemercier “a delicate, perceptive and super sensitive story”

The NY Times – Manohla Dargis “One of the finest movies you’ll see this year.”

With the support of