Sorcery

A lamb massacre on the German settlers' sheep farm in late 19th-century Chiloé sparks tension between the settlers and the indigenous locals. Stefan, the German patriarch, publicly accuses the indigenous community of the crime, escalating the conflict. The accusation seeds a cycle of distrust that drives the story forward.

Rosa's father intervenes to defend his people, attempting to prevent a blood feud. Stefan's dogs attack him, and he is killed in front of Rosa and the community. Rosa loses her father and the first bond to her homeland is shattered.

Rosa travels to the town mayor to demand justice for her father, but the mayor refuses to act for fear of angering the German settlers. His refusal shows how power and influence protect the settlers' interests. Rosa is left with no immediate legal remedy in the town.

Disheartened, Rosa turns to the church, where a priest becomes her guardian and arranges for her to stay with Mateo, an indigenous elder living alone. The arrangement marks a shift from state neglect to community support. Rosa begins to find refuge in indigenous kinship networks.

Mateo accepts Rosa into his care, and she helps him with fishing by the sea. They visit Rosa's father's grave, where the elder tells her that her father's spirit belongs to the sea. The bond between land, sea, and memory deepens her resolve.

Overwhelmed by grief, Rosa tries to drown herself in despair, but Mateo saves her from despair and death. This near tragedy cements her reliance on Mateo and the community around her. The sea and memory become sources of both sorrow and endurance.

Rosa asks Mateo to seek justice for her father by consulting the indigenous community. Mateo agrees to reach out to elders and seek a collective decision, signaling a shift toward traditional authority rather than municipal courts. The plan foreshadows community-led resistance.

Shortly after, Stefan's sons disappear, and the town's mayor arrests Mateo and other locals. The arrests escalate the crisis, turning the community into a target for the settlers' protection and retaliation. Rosa's commitment to justice deepens as she witnesses the crackdown.

With Mateo imprisoned, Rosa is taken in by a local witch. Under the witch's guidance, she witnesses Mateo's torture, and in response, renounces Christianity to embrace the island's native religion. This marks a radical transformation in Rosa's beliefs and power.

During a ritual involving skin-wearing, Rosa and the witch are captured by Stefan. The mayor, seeking a promotion, offers leniency if Mateo's people save his ailing wife and unborn child, a bargain that entwines personal survival with ritual power. Rosa's role becomes central to the political game.

Mateo initially resists, but Rosa persuades him. Rosa later uses her new witchcraft to save the mayor's family, but the mayor breaks his promise, declaring the ritual skin to be from Stefan's children and sentencing all prisoners to death. The betrayal intensifies Rosa's anger and sense of justice.

Mateo dies in jail, and the remaining prisoners perform a ritual in which Rosa wears Mateo's skin and transforms into a powerful dog. The transformation gives Rosa a new, fearsome form and agency. The line between human, spirit, and animal blurs as she takes on a protective role.

As the dog-form, Rosa sneaks into the mayor's home and threatens his family. Terrified, the mayor releases Rosa and her companions. The release signals a partial victory and the reclaiming of power through magical intervention.

Rosa leads another ritual, fully embracing her new path and the island's native religion. The community witnesses her rise as a figure of power and ritual authority. This marks the completion of her transformation from victim to protector.