V –0 08 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society
V –0 08 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society
V –0 08 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society
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sIdebar: country spotlIght<br />
latin american cinema… now!<br />
While Latin American cinema may evoke many thoughts and ideas, most people would not think of terms<br />
like cutting-edge, fresh, adventurous, uncompromising, and on the edge. These descriptions have never<br />
been truer in Latin American cinema. Not only is the sheer number of films increasing, but so is the<br />
overall quality. While Mexico, Brazil and Cuba have often been looked at as the premiere creators of film,<br />
many additional countries are quickly establishing themselves. Argentina for instance has had so much<br />
success via festivals and critics around the world; a tag of New Argentine cinema was coined to frame the<br />
understanding that they have arrived. The world stage is starting to see this area of filmmaking as the new<br />
frontier with a unique vision and storytelling style that is changing the way we look at film. While a vision<br />
has emerged, the subjects and styles are broad and encompass many genres.<br />
Peru, Ecuador, uruguay, Panama, Dominican Republic, Chile, Venezuela and other Latin American countries<br />
previously unknown as a center of film have joined Cuba, Mexico and Brazil in presenting great cinema. The<br />
choices were hard as many films were worth screening, but the offerings here are a great way to get a grasp<br />
of the unique vision and style that are making Latin American cinema a force to reckon with.<br />
the popes toIlet [pg. 38]<br />
The shabby uruguayan border town of Melo is counting<br />
on Pope John Paul II’s 1988 visit to bring some material<br />
salvation along with the spiritual variety. Smalltime<br />
smuggler Beto hatches what he thinks will be an easy<br />
scheme to build a private washroom for the festivities<br />
but soon everyone is praying for relief.<br />
xxy [pg. 45]<br />
Lucía Puenzo’s accomplished debut explores the painful<br />
search for gender identity of Alex, a hermaphrodite,<br />
as she enters adolescence and is pressured by her<br />
parents to “choose.” When a surgeon is invited to their<br />
home, Alex strikes up a friendship with his son Alvaro<br />
and it soon emerges that they are equally confused<br />
and curious about sex, sexuality and gender in this<br />
astonishing film.<br />
67<br />
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