After a long fishing night, José returns to his home deep in the jungle to discover that paramilitary forces killed his two sons and threw their bodies into the river. He begins a lonely journey upriver to retrieve their bodies and provide a proper burial.
Aboard his canoe, José meets many people – some pity him, many turn their back to him in fear of backlash, a few even try to take advantage of him. Steadily and stealthily he gets closer to the pinnacle of truth. Grieving the loss of a child is often referred to as the ultimate tragedy. José’s expressionless, inscrutable face shows no sign of his anguish. But then the director shows him recovering a football jersey and putting it on, and the jersey has his son’s name printed on the back. The sparseness of action and drama is extremely effective, as we gradually understand that this is a father silently mourning for his children in his own way. Valley of Souls is a poetic requiem consoling the tormented souls and the parent left behind. (Karen Park)