# Northern Skies Over Empty Space

Northern Skies Over Empty Space (Spanish: El norte sobre el vacío) is a 2022 Mexican drama film directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella and written by Abella & Gabriel Nuncio, starring Gerardo Trejoluna and Paloma Petra. It is inspired by a true story where a Mexican cowboy and hunter, named Don Alejo Garza, defended his ranch from organized crime, who wanted to take it from him in 2010. It won the Best Mexican Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actor awards for Gerardo Trejoluna at the 20th Morelia International Film Festival, as well as Best Movie in the Arieles.

## Synopsis

Don Reynaldo is a renowned hunter on the decline, but when the threat of losing his inheritance and his father's legacy looms, his entire life is turned dangerously upside down.

## Cast

The actors participating in this film are:
* Gerardo Trejoluna as Don Reynaldo
* Paloma Petra as Rosa
* Dolores Heredia as Sofía
* Mayra Hermosillo as Lily
* Francisco Barreiro as Elías
* Mariana Villegas as Laura
* Fernando Bonilla as Raúl
* Juan Daniel García Treviño as Tello
* Raúl Briones as Guzmán
* Marco García as Arnulfo
* Yahir Alday as Braulio
* Gabriel Almaguer as Wenceslao
* Bebo Cantú as Félix
* Gabriel Nuncio as Pepón
* Camille Mina as Vicky
* Pato Alvarado as Adrián
* Diego García as Beto
* Mariel Alanís as Isis
* Aglae Lingow as Bunny
* Leonardo Huerta as Clown
* Carlos Lenin as Cousin 1
* Ernesto Treviño as Cousin 2
* Oliver Cantú Lozano as Cowboy 1
* Hamish Anderson as Cowboy 2

## Production

Principal photography took place in the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, Mexico, where they had to deal with organized crime to film in peace.

## Release

Northern Skies Over Empty Space had its international premiere on February 12, 2022, at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival as part of the Panorama selection. It premiered internationally on October 28, 2022, on Amazon Prime Video.

## Reception
### Critical reception

Lee Marshall from Screendaily wrote: "The bravura of the transition between grim school drama and western, and the way the two genres coexist and intertwine, make it so rich [...] Outstanding performances from Trejoluna and Petra". Ernesto Diezmartínez from Letras Libres wrote: "The premise is compelling and, at least in the first few minutes, Márquez Abella promises a mocking take on heroism, virility, and toxic patriarchy ... Unfortunately, in the second part the film completely collapses, between dispersion and indecision: the class tensions between Don Reynaldo and all his employees –especially with the bragada Rosita– are more than obvious but are handled in a confusing way, there are telegraphed twists that go nowhere".

### Accolades

| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2022 | Berlin International Film Festival | Panorama Audience Award | Alejandra Márquez Abella | Nominated |
| 2022 | Morelia International Film Festival | Best Feature Film | Alejandra Márquez Abella | Won |
| 2022 | Morelia International Film Festival | Best Screenplay | Alejandra Márquez Abella & Gabriel Nuncio | Won |
| 2022 | Morelia International Film Festival | Best Actor | Gerardo Trejoluna | Won |
| 2023 | Diosas de Plata | Best Actor | Gerardo Trejoluna | Nominated |
| 2023 | Diosas de Plata | Best Supporting Actress | Paloma Petra | Nominated |
| 2023 | Diosas de Plata | Best Actor in a Minor Role | Raúl Briones | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Picture | Northern Skies Over Empty Space | Won |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Director | Alejandra Márquez Abella | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Actor | Gerardo Trejoluna | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Dolores Heredia | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Fernando Bonilla | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Raúl Briones | Won |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Alejandra Márquez Abella & Gabriel Nuncio | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Cinematography | Claudia Becerril Bulos | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Original Score | Tomás Barreiro | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Sound | Pablo Betancourt, Zulu González, Yuri Laguna & Gerardo Villareal | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Editing | Miguel Schverdfinger | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Art Direction | Sandra Cabriada | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Makeup | Pedro Guijarro | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Costume Design | Amanda Cárcamo | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Special Effects | Luis Eduardo Ambriz | Nominated |
| 2023 | Ariel Awards | Best Visual Effects | Raúl Luna | Nominated |