Capsule review · VIFF 2026
Drama • NR • 102 Minutes • 2026
Juan Andrés Arango García’s hypnotic film, Where the River Begins, is an unlikely road/adventure film that follows Yajaira (Girleza Duave Cerezo), her daughter, María (Ana Michell Nama Dumaza) and an ex-gang member on the run, Jhon (Juan David Junca Linares), as they escape from violent Bogotá, Colombia, in search of Yajaira’s home village deep in the jungle. Performances are shy and reserved, shaped by a constant onslaught of violence and the need for survival that leaves them exhausted and near catatonic, only forced to leap into reaction in the most dire of circumstances. Nicolas Canniccioni’s cinematography is a stunning, almost otherworldly portrait of Colombia, a world alien to most Canadians, brought to domestic audiences by Colombian-Canadian director Juan Andrés Arango García in a co-production with Colombia, Norway, and Canada. As the camera slithers between trees and rivers or hovers through impromptu settlements, Garcia gently walks you through the Colombian world of beauty and violence. You follow the trio like an invisible and silent companion, and you’ll miss them as the screen goes black, pulling you out of the jungle and leaving you sitting in your seat long after the credits roll.
about the author
Merrick Gajdics is founder, publisher and editor of The Canadian Film Reviewer.