The Better Angels takes place in the early 1800s and narrates part of the youth of one of America’s greatest heroes, Abraham Lincoln. The story tells of the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him forever and the two women who guided him to immortality. The film creates, through silence and through a beautiful and captivating black-and-white photography, an emotional, ethereal and almost dreamlike experience for the viewer; as the director puts it, “a journey of the senses through the pioneer world of young Lincoln”.

A.J. Edwards, Terrence Malick’s pupil, makes his debut as a director with this film. Malick’s influence can be perceived along the footage through the imagery and the visual narrative. In fact, Edwards openly thanked Malick (who produced the film) for his inspiration and guidance throughout the process. Edwards has worked with Malick as a second unit director and co-editor in the films The New World, The Tree of Life (winner of a Palme d’Or), To The Wonder, and Knight of Cups.

Spanish Première