Beno’s Son

Dir. Ilán Lieberman

Beno's Son| 2022 | México | 103 min.

Synposis

Ilán, a fifty-two-year-old visual artist, takes his family on a musical road trip, trying to reconstruct the chaotic, creative life and tragic death of his father, Beno Lieberman, a pioneer of folklore research in Mexico. Revisiting remote mountainous and jungle villages, they listen to local musicians – some of whom Beno recorded in the 1960s and ‘70s – who continue to play the very same music today. As Ilan confronts the mystery and pain of his father’s suicide, his son and two daughters pose difficult questions that address the reasons for the silence that often surrounds the act of suicide. And, while exploring the richness, intensity and variety of authentic Mexican folk tradition, Ilán comes to terms with his feelings about his father by opening up to his children and sharing Beno’s enduring musical legacy.

Credits

Director

Ilán Lieberman

Producer

José Cohen Ovadia

Coproducer

Ilán Lieberman Cook

Cinematography

Bruno Santamaría

Edition and script

Omar Guzmán, Ilán Lieberman

Spund design

Pablo Lach

Direct sound

Roy González

Original score

Juan Manuel Ledezma Blum

Press notes

Festivals