August Winds is a contemplative, nearly formless depiction of rural life. Mascaro regularly hangs back, adopting an unobtrusive vantage point, letting the moments form so that his characters can live out their lives.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
The few instances of humor offer a welcome reprieve as the film's mood shifts from summery and sultry to increasingly dark and moody.
Ventos de Agosto presents such an extraordinary portrait of rural life that its textures often overwhelm the narrative.
Mascaro isn’t interested in psychology and instead simply sketches in thoughts and motivations (Shirley’s boredom, Jeison’s father’s dissatisfaction) without exploring them, much in the manner of an observational documentary. The real connective tissue is the locale.
Screen International by Mark Adams
An engagingly episodic and strikingly beautiful drama, Gabriel Mascaro’s August Winds (Ventos de Agosto) is a slight but rather bewitching film.