IF WE DON'T BURN, HOW DO WE LIGHT UP THE NIGHT
[SI NO ARDEMOS, CÓMO ILUMINAR LA NOCHE]
Thirteen-year-old Laura (Lara Yuja Mora) is left adrift as she is forced to move to the Costa Rican countryside to live with her mother’s new boyfriend. Her new stepsister tries to ingratiate herself, but Laura is more interested in playing soccer and making friends with the rebellious Daniela (Keylin Delgado). But just as the forests and endless palm plantations begin to feel like home, Laura discovers a lurking secret that threatens the women she holds close. In her stunning and lushly atmospheric feature debut, filmmaker Kim Torres deftly explores the end of childhood innocence and reckons with the ever-present threat of gender-based violence. –Josh Gardner
Official Selection, 2025 San Sebastian Film Festival, 2026 San Francisco Film Festival. DIR/SCR Kim Torres; SCR Luisa Mora Fernández; PROD Alejandra Vargas Carballo. Costa Rica/Mexico/France, 2025, color, 95 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Run Time: 95 Minutes
Opening Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Genre: Drama
