Haunted by a long-broken relationship with her father, anthropologist Carolina Arias Ortiz returns to her childhood home of Costa Rica to repair their relationship while haunted by the otherworldly mystery of ancient stone spheres in this lyrical and poetic debut feature. During her return, her father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and death suddenly draws close. At the same time, she meets the archaeologist Ifigenia Quintanilla, who is conducting research into one of Costa Rica’s most famous cultural phenomena: the large, pre-Columbian stone spheres found scattered across the landscape and the many myths associated with them.

The filmmaker uses subdued black and white—the only color we see is in the photos of her mother left by her father—to present the gorgeous natural environment, the miraculous spheres, and other stone objects that may or may not reveal their secrets. Her voice-over, archive images, family photos, and Quintanilla’s philosophically tinged texts connect the personal with the rich history of the country’s original inhabitants.