The Good Daughter

“The Good Daughter” is an adaptation of the director’s own short film “Harta” (2021) which earned multiple awards. Of the then ensemble of actors, this full-length film includes only Julián Villagrán who won three best actor awards for his role as a father in “Harta”.

The teenage Carmela’s father is violent and a restraining order has been imposed on him with regard to the girl’s mother. In spite of that, Carmela is very fond of her father. She is allowed to meet with her father, but these meetings take place with restrictions and under the supervision of a social worker. The parents’ divorce places the girl in a difficult situation where she seems to be expected to pick a side. The child’s absolute love for her father starts to crumble, but not through Carmela’s fault.

A strong social drama out of real life. An excellent acting debut from 17-year-old Kiara Arancibia in the role of Carmela. The interpretation of the role has definitely benefitted from the director’s own age. Dynamic editing significantly contributes to the believability of the story. And the most important thing about the entire film is that this topic is unfortunately still acute, emphatically describing a situation which a countless number of children have been through.

Mihkel Möölman