<p><strong>"The desert grows, and woe to him who conceals the desert within him..." - Friedrich Nietzsche</strong></p>

<p>Hot off the success of last year's award-winning <em>La Zona</em>, Rodrigo Plá doesn't put one step wrong in leading Mexico's cinematic resurgence with this epic drama, <em>The Desert Within</em>.<br />Battling an earthly and spiritual conundrum, Elias unwittingly draws the attention of rebel troops to his peaceful village while attempting to baptise his son at the nearby township. A vision from the Lord convinces Elias that he must atone for his sin against his neighbours, so he re-locates his family to the desert, where he undertakes the building of a church. While acting from a purity of heart, not everyone shares Elias's clear-sightedness on the situation, and soon his ardent devotion begins to resemble madness.<br />