Isabel lives in a small wooden house in the Costa Rican countryside with her husband and two daughters. She spends most of the day attending to the needs of her family, and the rest working as a dressmaker. The little money she makes is kept in a box for her husband to manage. Her in-laws and husband pressure her constantly to have another child, preferably a boy, but space and resources are already stretched. Between balls of yarn and bolts of fabrics, Isabel fantasizes about designing her own clothes and opening a store. Her habits, the heat, her long hair, the insects that invade even the most intimate spaces, and her family’s pressure begin to distort Isabel’s imagination, leading to strange visions and dreams, forcing her to confront herself, her environment, and her deepest desires.

Isabel (Daniela Valenciano) vive en una pequeña casa de campo en Costa Rica con su familia, y cuando puede trabaja como costurera. Su esposo administra sus ganancias y la presiona para que tenga otro bebé, mientras ella fantasea con diseñar y vender su propia ropa. El calor, los insectos, y la tensión entre sus deseos y los de su familia distorsionan su imaginación y la obligan a enfrentar su realidad.

La directora Antonella Sudasassi estrenó El despertar de las hormigas este año en el prestigioso Festival de Berlín, sorprendiendo por la solidez narrativa y la excelente actuación de su protagonista.