‘The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future’ (2023) Review: A Spiritual and Introspective Message
Amongst the dead fish washed up on the shores on the banks of the Chilean river, a woman emerges from the bottom, dressed in a boiler suit. This woman, Magdalena (Mía Maestro), was believed to have died by suicide and drove her motorbike into the river, not to be found for decades. Magdalena’s presence disrupts the mobile phones and people. When she passes them, electronic devices come to life. People fall into uncontrollable laughter. Her former husband sees her in the town and collapses. Cecilia (Leonor Varela) and her two children travel to her hometown to take care of her father, while Bernardo (Marcial Tagle) looks after the farm. Magdalena’s arrival at their home resurfaces the family’s hidden secrets and the trauma surrounding her suicide.
Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future (will be referred to as The Cow Who Sang from this point onwards) confronts the mysterious disappearance and trauma of a mother’s suicide. It’s an elusive tale that explores the relationship between humans and the environment. Alegría shows how humans fail to listen to the environment and the creatures that live in locations. This movie makes a bold statement by revealing dead, polluted fish on the river’s shores. The characters written in The Cow Who Sang repeatedly dismiss the growing concern for the animal’s health, which leads to devastating consequences.
Alegría makes a bold statement. It’s a personal plea that attempts to let the audience know the importance of preventing disastrous environmental projects that destroy the ecological systems of humans and animals. The Cow Who Sang confronts the problem by asserting that everyone can move forward by understanding the damage we have done to Earth. A riveting tale of family drama and environment that provides a hopeful and thoughtful ending.
