by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
A nun embarks on a long and perilous journey to meet with a new Archbishop whom she believes can help her with a troubling dream in Oca.
Rafaela is a young nun belonging to a fragile, nearly defunct congregation. Plagued by recurring, incomplete visions that straddle the line between dreams and omens, Rafaela is sent on a mission by the head nun: travel to a nearby town, find the new archbishop, explain the convent’s dire situation, and do not return without a sign of hope.
What begins as a simple errand soon transforms into a deeply symbolic journey. Along the way, Rafaela encounters a cast of desperate and enigmatic characters whose own crises of faith, identity, and survival either guide or obstruct her path. Each meeting feels fated, as though she’s traversing not just roads and landscapes, but a spiritual map drawn by the unconscious mind.
Written and directed by Karla Badillo, Oca stars Natalia Solián, Cecilia Suárez, Cristel Guadalupe, Leonardo Ortizgris, and Raúl Briones.
The film’s title, Oca, refers to a traditional Spanish board game, adapted in Mexico, in which players advance or retreat depending on dice rolls and the whims of chance. By naming the film after this game, Badillo lays the groundwork for a rich metaphor: Rafaela’s pilgrimage becomes a game of fate, echoing the unpredictable rhythms of life, death, and transcendence. The board game’s structure, a spiral of advancement and setback, mirrors the film’s elliptical narrative style. Progress isn’t linear, and salvation, if it comes at all, is hard-won.
Natalia Solián gives a luminous performance as Rafaela, imbuing her with a quiet strength and vulnerability that anchors the film’s more surreal and mystical elements. The supporting cast, Cecilia Suárez, Cristel Guadalupe, Leonardo Ortizgris, and Raúl Briones, inhabit their roles with raw, understated complexity, each representing a facet of the spiritual or societal dilemmas Rafaela must confront.
Badillo succeeds not only in building a dreamlike atmosphere but in simulating the logic of a game on film. The story ebbs and flows, seemingly directionless at times, yet always pulled by a deeper, ineffable purpose. Unlike traditional games where only one player wins, Oca, the film suggests that everyone plays and everyone stands to gain or lose something of spiritual significance.
In Oca, writer-director Karla Badillo crafts a poetic and haunting debut that blurs the boundaries between reality, prophecy, and spiritual awakening. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, Oca signals the arrival of a bold new voice in cinema. It’s a film steeped in symbolism, rooted in ritual, and propelled by a profound exploration of faith and fate. In her debut, Badillo has not only created a cinematic pilgrimage; she’s invited us to take it with her.
Grade: C+
