V –0 08 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society

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