The Message
Subverting the familiar fairytale narrative, The Message (El mensaje) offers a starkly realistic take on a little girl’s magical gift. Anika (Anika Zootz) can communicate with animals and her gift is turned into an opportunity by her guardians, Myriam (Mara Bestelli) and Roger (Marcelo Subiotto), who prey on grief-stricken owners hoping for a final message from their pets. What might have been whimsical is instead transactional, set against the country roads of Argentina, where faith is bartered for survival.
Envisioned in evocative black and white by cinematographer Gustavo Schiaffino, The Message peels back the layers of modernity for a timeless effect. Far from the romanticism of cinematic road trips, the trio’s existence is defined by improvisation and limitation, and there is no clear destination in sight. Their camper van, barely big enough for the two adults, is both home and workplace. In one particularly telling scene, when the showerhead breaks mid-use, Myriam matter-of-factly rinses Anika’s shampoo-coated hair with a bottle of water – an unremarkable yet deeply revealing detail of their daily struggle. Fund’s film is full of such moments, where hardship is presented with a natural touch and limited sentimentality.
The picture drifts between encounters, capturing small, transient connections rather than building toward a grand resolution. Even Anika’s supposed gift is left ambiguous; whether genuine or not is irrelevant compared to the comfort she offers. The weight rests not in the supernatural spectacle but in the quiet observations along the way, and Fund withholds explanations until the very end, keeping his characters’ fates uncertain. Myriam and Roger are neither outright exploitative nor wholly nurturing, and their relationship with the girl is never clarified. They are simply making do, as is Anika, who gradually assumes the role of caretaker to the very adults who should be looking after her.
At its core, The Message is an exploration of belief, survival and the slow erosion of childhood wonder. Its characters exist on the periphery of society, peddling a service that is both deeply human and fundamentally nonconformist. Yet, for all its strong ideas and striking atmosphere, the film remains more of a concept than a fully realised story. It establishes a compelling setup but never pushes beyond it, drifting without transformation or deeper narrative momentum. Fund does not indulge in sentimentality or provide neat answers, preferring to linger on fleeting moments, suggesting that, whether real or imagined, connection is what truly matters.
Christina Yang
The Message (El mensaje) does not have a release date yet.
Watch a clip from The Message here:
Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival coverage here.
For further information about the event visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.
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