Mexico’s ‘Tótem’ Puts a Kid in the Spotlight: ‘Childhood Is Destiny,’ Director Says

Lila Avilés, who represented Mexico in the Oscar race with “The Chambermaid” five years ago, followed that with “Tótem,” a raucous film about a day with an extended family that has gathered for the birthday of a father who is dying. The action is occasionally chaotic, occasionally quiet and moving, and always viewed from the perspective of a 7-year-old girl, Sol (Naíma Sentíes).

How did the idea for this film come to you?
The origins come from a very personal story. My daughter lost her father when she was a young child, and above all, I was interested in exploring the concept of home, of how we live in a home, how we interact with one another within it, and by extension, how we inhabit ourselves.