Camino

Aroview: An absorbing, sensationally-told true story of a devoutly Catholic Spanish schoolgirl whose willing death at the age of 14 – brought about by terminal cancer – became a question of sainthood.

Succumbing to the illness by virtue of her family’s ultra-conservative faith, the film’s titular heroine is framed within both skillful, enthralling storytelling and a backhanded swipe at religious fervor that is nothing if not a talking point. Ultimately though, Fesser’s deathbed melodrama isn’t as hard-hitting as one had hoped, with the director arguably settling for manipulative, tear-jerking tactics at the most crucial moments.

NZ International Film Festival 2009

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