TIFF Review: Lo Invisible

Whilst most new mothers experience what is often jokingly called the ‘baby blues’, postpartum depression is no laughing matter. Affecting over one in ten women, it’s much more invasive than the natural feelings of being down, tearful or anxious after giving birth. It can either hit you straight away or come on gradually, but at its most serious it can be life-threatening. Lo Invisible tells the story of a 45-year-old mother struggling to connect.

Released from a psychiatric institution following a severe bout of postnatal depression, Luisa (Anahí Hoeneisen) is struggling to slip back into her former life. She doesn’t feel able to bond with her baby and the whirlwind of activity happening around her simply seems to pass her by. Living a highly privileged life, surrounded by wealth, servants and assistants in a large house, she drifts through days, hardly there. Almost like a ghost. This malaise is punctuated by a desperate need to feel something.

What makes Lo Invisible such a captivating and involving character study is an astonishing central performance from co-writer Hoeneisen. The whole film rests on her shoulders and she carries it off with aplomb. Allied with Javier Andrade’s careful and studied direction and Daniel Andrade’s bewitching camerawork, it’s a remarkable feat. Lo Invisible is a quietly gripping portrait of a woman on the edge.

Lo Invisible screens at Toronto International Film Festival.