Heading South opens with the premise that everyone wears a mask. As the film follows the emotional journey of a small group of western female sex tourists in 1970s Haiti, a number of events occur that lead the protagonists to question what they really know about each other’s lives.

The story’s narrative shifts several times, allowing a number of perspectives to emerge. Although the island is initially hailed as ‘paradise’ by its visitors, they are soon exposed to its less pleasant realities. The individual frailties of the women and their genuine capacity for pain and guilt emerge as they are pushed towards self-analysis both by each other and the events of the summer.

Both the script and the cast performances contribute to the creation of intriguing multi-dimensional characters, from the visiting women to the highly-coveted young male Legba (Me’nothy Cesar). The most likeable and sympathetic female character, Brenda (Karen Young), reluctantly confronts her own motivations and reveals hidden determination. The comparatively harsher Ellen (Charlotte Rampling) demonstrates a frankness and capacity to acknowledge her vulnerability, which gives her character depth in a situation where she could have merely been portrayed as a jealous older woman.

The film’s pace is slow, though never less than captivating. The wide shots of the ocean and the gentle musical score seem well-suited during the first part of the film. By the end, the beautiful vistas and beaches seem cruelly ironic given the events that unfold on them.

Director Laurent Cantet’s film slowly draws the viewer in and asks them to examine their own preconceptions about power, sex and love. The film’s main theme is that you can never truly know another person. Fittingly, there is much left unsaid at the end of the story, and what remains is a poignant, thoughtful film.