Low Tide

The reason there is little dialog in Low Tide is not only due to its setting. In the small communities around Houston, people obviously don’t talk much, and the young boy who lives with his single mom has even less to say. His life consists of taking care of his mother when she has had too much to drink the night before and can’t make it to her low-paying job at the hospital. Roberto Minervini focuses solely on the everyday life of the boy, who remains nameless throughout the film, observing him as he performs household chores in his surroundings: a nearby trailer park, a pond that serves as a place of refuge, and a slaughterhouse. In the process, Minervini makes us aware of the boy’s exceptional inner turmoil, concealed by routine and boredom. A drastic act at the end pulls us out of that reality. Low Tide is the logical continuation of Minervini’s survey of his Texas homeland and reveals the European influence of works by the Dardenne brothers and Ken Loach. While telling us about social coldness, this intense and intimate film is full of warmth itself. (Viennale)