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For many centuries, life remained the same in the small fishing village of Playa Azul, where tides draw in and out to dictate the routine of a small group of residents by the coast.

Contemporary sociopolitical unrest finally brought change to the insular community, however, which saw artisanal fishing giving way to a dangerous wave of drug trafficking. In his new documentary “Ella se detiene a mirar”, world premiering at the Costa Rica International Film Festival, filmmaker Álvaro Torres Crespo poignantly captures this pained end of a way of life.

Speaking with Variety ahead of the festival, Crespo recalls first visiting the village years ago, saying he was not specifically thinking about making a film in the location. “But, of course, as a filmmaker, you are always thinking about films. I saw a beautiful scene of some fishermen sleeping on the top of a fishing net, which was so beautiful it felt almost biblical.