In a river in the south of Chile, fish are dying due to pollution from the nearby cellulose factory. Amid their floating bodies, long-deceased Magdalena bubbles up to the surface gasping for air, bringing with her old wounds and a wave of family secrets. The shocking sight of Magdalena sends her widowed husband into turmoil and prompts their daughter, Cecilia, to return home to the family’s dairy farm. There, Magdalena’s presence reverberates among her family, instigating fits of laughter and despair in equal measure with everyone but Cecilia’s eldest child, who seeks her grandmother’s love and unconditional understanding during a time of transition.

A choir of creatures introduces a world delicately constructed by fantasy, mystery, and magical realism. Following her award-winning short film, And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye, 2017, Francisca Alegría’s feature debut continues her ruminative exploration of environmental tragedy, renewal, and resurrection. The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future is an ambitious proposal for acceptance and healing, suggesting that the dead return when they are most needed.