MEMORIES OF MY FATHER

As told through the eyes of his adoring son, this biopic of Colombian doctor and social activist Héctor Abad Gómez (Javier Cámara) takes on a saccharine, nostalgic glow which diffuses the country’s oppressive politics. It’s adapted from Héctor Abad Faciolince’s novel, about a life lived alongside his liberal father, who was assassinated in 1987. The focus is squarely on the warm affections of ’70s family life contrasted with 1980s bookends — shot in cold black and white — suggesting that childhood innocence has been replaced by an adult understanding of the risks of taking a stand. But even though Gómez’s murder is depicted in sharp, shocking relief, the decision to largely ignore the wider world denies this story much of its potential power.