Sundance. Padre Nuestro.

"Loaded with supersonic shooting style and moral ambiguity to spare, Christopher Zalla's Padre Neustro is easily the best directed narrative feature I've seen at this year's festival," begins ST VanAirsdale at the Reeler. "It's an engrossing story - a tribute to Zalla's extraordinary pacing and characterizations; that said, it's a difficult sell if only because it features only one genuinely likable character - Diego - and then places him inexorably in devastation's path."

Updated through 1/30.

Another endorsement comes from Steve Ramos at indieWIRE: "[A]rguably the best dramatic feature I've watched so far at the festival. My initial response would be to call Padre Nuestro an immigration drama, one grittier and a notch more tragic than the recent Sundance movie Maria Full of Grace."

The Reeler and indieWIRE interview Zalla.

Update, 1/25: James Ponsoldt talks with Zalla for Filmmaker.

Updates, 1/30: Cyndi Greening: "I really connected with this film and, clearly, the dramatic jury panel did as well. Superbly acted, exquisitely shot and beautifully edited, Padre Nuestro was a pleasure on many levels."

Scott Foundas: "Part thriller, part Greek tragedy, the Spanish-language Padre Nuestro stars a cast of unknowns in what is an often bleak portrait of America's have-nots, and is one of the only movies I saw in this year's competition that reminded me of the original mandate of the indie-film movement: to tell stories that Hollywood itself would not tell and give voice to those who are too often silenced in mainstream movies."

Coverage of the coverage: The Park City Index.

Posted by dwhudson at January 24, 2007 3:15 PM