The Surreal Liminality of Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022)
A central conflict in the film is Silverio’s sense of displacement as a "transnational" figure. Having spent two decades working abroad, Silverio feels alienated from both his home and his adopted country, famously summarized by Iñárritu’s own sentiment: "I may be too Mexican for Americans, and too American for Mexicans" . The film tackles several heavy themes through this lens: Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022) - IMDb Bardo(2022)
The title refers to the Buddhist concept of the bardo —a liminal, transitional state between death and rebirth. In the film, this manifests as a "state between life and death," a spot where consciousness can still perceive the world but is no longer anchored to it. Iñárritu uses this framework to explore the "primary symbols of life in dreams," specifically water, to represent birth, life, and eventual cessation. Themes of Identity and Displacement The Surreal Liminality of Bardo, False Chronicle of
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s (2022) is an epic, visually immersive journey that serves as a deeply personal exploration of identity, memory, and the fluid nature of reality. The film follows Silverio Gama, a renowned Mexican journalist and documentarian living in Los Angeles, who returns to his native country after winning a prestigious international award. This homecoming triggers an existential crisis manifested through surreal, dreamlike visions that blur the lines between his past and present. The Concept of the "Bardo" In the film, this manifests as a "state