AllMovie

Two strangers discover they share a need to blot out the emptiness of their lives in this drama from Mexican filmmaker Yulene Olaizola. Luisa (Luisa Pardo) is a woman in her mid-20's who has drifted from the city to a shabby coastal resort in Veracruz. Luisa is also a heroin addict who makes occasional efforts to kick dope but more often succumbs to the lure of the drug. While wandering through the resort, she strikes up a friendship with Salomon (Salomon Hernandez), a laconic maintenance man who looks after the grounds while smoking a steady supply of marijuana. Luisa and Salomon bond over their shared emotional dependence on drugs, and while she's hesitant to reveal much about herself, he occasionally shares the details about the death of his wife and his struggles with alcohol. Eventually Luisa's supply of heroin runs low, and when she's unable to find a dealer who can give her the drugs she needs, Salomon stays by her side as she deals with the agony of withdrawal. Paraisos Artificiales (aka Artificial Paradises) received its North American premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.