TIFF 2025 Review: Noviembre – “an in-the-moment documentary feel to the visuals and performances.”

On November 6, 1985 a guerrilla group called M-19 seizes control of the Palace of Justice leading to a violent confrontation with the Colombian army.

Forced to seek refuge in a bathroom while the chaos ensues inside and outside of the Palace of Justice are wounded and uninjured members of M-19, along with their hostages.  Confusion reigns supreme as the action is mostly confined to this singular space, so the only information available is the sounds occurring beyond the walls and characters moving in and out of the bathroom, sharing information.  Archival news reel footage is intercut to give a first-hand account of how the Columbia military handled the situation outside of the building, which serves as a warning that things are going to get worse rather than better.

An interesting choice was to have the opening credits feature a black screen with actual recorded audio from the historical event, leading into a shot of the destroyed bathroom and then into the reenactment of what happened that day.  The camera never goes wide but stays close to the characters emphasizing the confinement of the space and gives an in-the-moment documentary feel to the visuals and performances.  There is a danger of the scenes coming across as a stage play; however, the ongoing panic is the narrative spark that keeps ramping up the intensity, and the viewer gets thrown into the middle of the chaos.

As for the performances, it is hard to completely know how anyone would really react whether as the perpetrator or hostage under those circumstances.  Standouts are Natalia Reyes and Santiago Alarcón as the revolutionary and captive, as each has a gravitas which brings a touch of humanity to the proceedings.  The brutality and disregard for human life is terrifying and shocking, which leads one to question what the point of the whole siege given that the guerrillas were easily outgunned and success would be nothing more than a moral victory at the cost of countless lives.  Resistance is indeed futile and a death wish.

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4-14, 2025, and for more information visit tiff.net.    

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.