A deadbeat returns to his family after hearing that his son is ill, having been gone for more than a decade, their struggles dourly contrasting his self-obsession.
Their home rests amidst acres upon acres of sugar cane, and they desperately rely on the income it provides.
But that income is not so easy to come by, as managers find excuses to withhold payments, and workers vigorously protest to ensure their compensation.
Alfonso (Haimer Leal) casts a troubled shadow on the plight of his former community, as he bonds with his grandson, and must yield to his wife's animosity.
An impoverished people attempts to garner respect meanwhile, struggling through the ages, making the most of their meagre opportunities.
Sadness, mourning, La tierra y la sombra (Land and Shade) blesses the salt of the earth with a refined bittersweet caring perseverance, valuing conviction as opposed to derivatives, the integrity of the daily grind.
The juxtaposition between Alfonso and his family sombrely furrows the sorrow, while forgiveness considers the worth of his presence, like a welcoming balm, pleasantly mitigating despair.
It champions solidarity rather than dramatizing drifting, the gilded courage embodied in action, a location, a tradition, jobs, the oppressed and the obstinate, ageless timeless plunder.
Down home determination.
Inveterate will.
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