Battle In Heaven is the limit-pushing new feature from Carlos Reygadas, director of Japón. Carol Murphy talks to Reygadas and lead actor Anapola Mushkadiz about morals, conflict, and the challenge of presenting real sex on screen.

Battle in Heaven is the site of an existential crisis of enormous magnitude. In Mexico City, a site of corrupt contradictory moral standards, Marcos and his wife decide to kidnap a baby. When the infant dies they are both forced into a situation were they have to depend upon their own personal and cultural strategies to deal with the situation. Marcos's wife has adapted to cultural mechanisms to deal with such a situation, and looks upon the pilgrimage to the Basílica to the Lady of Guadalupe as a possible solution to their situation. However, Marcos's internal conflict and inability to make rational decisions after the child's death push him towards his boss's daughter, Ana. Marcos picks Ana up from the airport, and chauffeurs her around the sprawling city while she prostitutes herself. When he confesses his guilt to Ana he breaks down, and finally finds himself on his knees amongst the frenzied crowds as they make their way to the Basilica.

Battle in Heaven is Carlos Regadas's second feature, and he has continued to use non-actors in uncompromising situations. Regadas self-produced his first feature, Japón, over a period of two years after he gave up practicing law and devoted himself to making films. Japón was presented at the Rotterdam and Cannes film festivals in 2002, where it received a Special Mention for the Camera D'Or.

Carol: Did you find it difficult getting the money getting the film?

Carlos: As difficult as is usual.

And what is the usual?

The usual is that if you work hard you will always find it.

I ask because it is a difficult and distanced film.

It is a viable economical operation anyway; the actual investment is not so big, so it is not such a risk.

The one thing that I wanted to ask you above anything else is in relation to the character of Ana. Why is she written as a prostitute?

The film is set in an atmosphere with very low moral standards. So Marcos has no problem kidnapping a baby in order to finance a car, but it is pretty obvious that he is not desperate for money. He is not in a condition of wealth, but he is not poor either. Ana has a very good life, but she still prostitutes herself. As with everything in this film, all the moral limits are set very low.

The full article is printed in Film Ireland 107.