On a deserted road in the early morning, sixteen-year-old Juan (Diego Cataño) inexplicably crashes the family car into a telegraph pole. He sets off in search of spare parts and help, but in this sleepy Yucatan town his options are limited. His encounters with the few people he does manage to find are gently funny, and only after considerable time has passed do we learn that Juan’s father has recently died, his grief stricken mother isn’t coping, and his younger brother has been left to fend for himself.

Minimalist and understated, Lake Tahoe has the feel of the New Argentine Cinema, but Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke (Duck Season) is assured and confident in his own right. Effective use of static shots and a keen eye for composition make the film formally distinctive, and its pacing allows the story to emerge in unforced, unhurried fashion. Never overreaching itself, Lake Tahoe makes modesty a virtue, providing a small but perfectly formed disquisition on loss and letting go.