Passion makes the World go Round
The Media Art Center San Diego's San Diego Latino Film Festival opened during beautiful and sunny days in San Diego – but mixed in were dark and rainy days, too. In fact, that’s a good metaphor for the festival itself. SDLFF in its 13th year has elements of both – the good and the bad – the light and the dark... As befits an art film festival, the first film, a documentary from the Netherlands, was dark and brooding. The video of El Perro Negro: Stories from the Spanish Civil War was grainy – on purpose. Also on purpose, was the disturbing music in the background. This was an important story told from the viewpoint of a wealthy Catalan family that witnessed Spanish history. If you like black and white and want to learn about political turmoil, watch this 2004 production. A lot can be learned about the present from the past.
O Casamento de Romeo e Julieta is one of Brazil’s entries to the festival. This film is about soccer. Well, not really – soccer is the background, but it is about the passion for soccer. Actually, if you think about it, it is also about romance. But, it has comedic twists. Granted, they are right on the edge of a "gentle" tragedy. So, is it comedy-romance? Yes, but what about the soccer?
There is no doubt that soccer is a Latin American passion. People kill for soccer. They even have heart attacks due to soccer. But this film is not about heart attacks but rather about the heartaches of love – specially if the two people involved are fans of opposing soccer clubs. The acting in this film, directed by Bruno Barreto, is incredible. The chemistry between the two stars, Marco Ricca and Luana Piovani, is a joy to behold. The production values exceed our expectations. This is a very good film – go see it!
Humor makes life bearable, but life is about much more – life is also about death. In our culture, we shy away from the emotions surrounding death. In case that’s your attitude, you might not want to see Para Que No Me Olvides. A Spanish film with a lot of heart (there’s that word again)... This film is about emotions – the raw feelings around death. The charming David, an aspiring architect, is in love with a beautiful, lively, and loving Clara. The problem is that David’s mother, Irene, feels that a cashier is beneath her son.
David is torn between the hormone-fueled love that he feels for his girlfriend and the familial love/loyalty he feels for his mother. The only other man in the movie is his grandfather, Mateo. Mateo helps bring some perspective into his grandson’s life, guiding by virtue of age and experience. But nothing prepares us for what comes next. This movie also has superb acting and great production values.
This year’s San Diego Latino Film Festival also has its share of documentaries–the political kind are a staple of Latin American culture. Worthy of a mention due to demographic concerns alone are Letters From the Other Side and The New Los Angeles (both American). The former is about the human side of immigration – specifically, the families that get left behind. The latter is about the politics in Los Angeles that recently led to a Latino mayor being elected after 130 years of all other ethnicities (mainly Anglo). Mukul Khurana
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