It is about two ghosts, a mother and son, search for the boy’s missing father on a journey, both physical and spiritual, through a world ravaged by war. Only through great sacrifice will they mend the fragile bonds that bind them and perhaps find redemption.
There are countless stories of Cubans reaching their dream destination of Florida as boat refugees. A lesser known route to the United States starts with a flight in a ramshackle plane to Guyana. Then the refugees travel to Colombia where they cross the jungle to arrive in Central America, from where they hope to reach the promised land of America—a hard and dangerous journey. Cuban filmmaker Marcel Beltrán visits them in a refugee camp in Panama, where one of the residents gives him an idea. Many people here have filmed their journey, she says, and these videos tell their real story. These jerky, shocking videos are interspersed with Beltrán’s footage of the camp, tangibly illustrating the difference between the hectic pace of the journey and the insecure life at the reception center.
Efraín Gómez is a clown who is no longer funny; the children are no longer amused by his presence. One day he gets up to go to work, but he realizes that his life is a disaster.
Two humble fishermen who live in a forgotten hamlet near to the Cauca river, discovered that a dead body had been tangled in their cast net. Failing to give notice to the authorities, they decided that it would be more humane to bury him, so they start dragging the dead body towards the jungle.
Camilo, 35 years old, son of Colombian guerrillas, returns to his home country after 25 years of exile in Italy. In an attempt to understand his parents' radical choices, he dives into the family archive. Extraordinary amateur films and private writings reveal never-ending conflicts and painful memories. Those of a father, a revolutionary commander, who sacrificed everything in the name of political struggle, but who saw his dream of justice vanish. Those of a son, who grew up in the shadow of a charismatic but cumbersome man, unable to accept the needs of a child. Those of a mother. A ghost that has haunted Camilo's dreams since he was five years old. A unique opportunity to give life to an impossible dialogue, long desired but never really happened.
Lázaro is a film that portrays the journey of a father to the depths of his mind and the places where he built his life. Upon learning of his illness, he decides to bring his family together: a wife that he was separated from for twenty years and who returns to care for him, and a son who returns from a long journey to be by his side. An attempt is made to mend a broken bond, to unite a family in the moment of parting.
