The film starts off in a somewhat jolting fashion. A group of visually impaired people are guided up a mountain, where the incident that sets the film’s story in motion takes place. As involuntary witnesses, the people take cautious steps, leaning on each other for support in the darkness. At a surface level, The Rim seems to be referencing a well-known incident in Spain, but it also tells the story of a defeated hero who explores a seemingly vanishing city, surrounded by oddball figures. Director Alberto Gracia’s third feature-length film is a mix of fictional narrative and urban reality, signaling a new starting point in his filmography. (Sung MOON)