So much resonance between different plot elements - Laura/Carmen - but also that the search or yearning only continues and evolves, our lives continue and evolve, because the object (object petit a?) is never actually obtainable - not Laura, not Elisa, not the creature, not the last plant for Laura's project, not the truth of what happened with Carmen. Also, many many references to the primacy of the masculine in the text (the letters from the books are all from the man, who occasionally quotes Carmen Zuna, the lack of female scientists in the Trenque Lauguen library). Elements of Antonioni for sure, both L'Avventura and Blow-Up, in the question of absences. In a way, Laura appears only when there is no more text - that is the wide screen nearly silent last section. Saw it whole with a 15 minute intermission. Bought both the Radiance and the Cinema Guild releases. Love this film so much.
Totally bizarre story that goes nowhere near what I was expecting but found it really memorable. The extras were really good explaining the back story of how the films production affected the story over COVID.