La Cienaga
La Cienaga or ‘The Swamp’ is Lucrecia Martel’s directorial debut starring Graciela Borges and Mercedes Morán.
The film tells the story of two families who co-exist in a rundown country estate during an Argentinean heat wave. Mecha (Borges) heads up one of the families and Mecha’s cousin Tali (Morán) represents the other clan. It
is not long before the overcrowded, and sometimes suffocating domestic situation erupts laying bare underlying tensions.
This is a powerful and hypnotic film which at times has an unconventional narrative and camera work. The film appears to represent the decline of Argentina’s decadent bourgeoisie.
City of God
City of God, directed by Fernando Meirelles, has received worldwide acclaim since its release. A sometimes brutal and sometimes beautiful film, 10 years on from its release it still packs a considerable punch. Starring Alexandre Rodrigues, Jonathan Haagensen, Douglas Silva, and Seu Jorge, the film tells of life in the slums of Rio De Janerio. In particular it follows the lives of two boys who take different paths. This film is made all the more poignant by the fact that some of the characters are based on real people, with many of the cast drawn from non professional actors who lived in and experienced life in the type of favelas where the film is set.
Amores Perros
Amores Perros is one of the first films of its kind which tell multiple stories which are interlinked. It is brilliantly directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and is rich on character and atmosphere. Enhanced by skilful acting, heavyweights such as Gael García Bernal lend the film a serious hot blooded Latin American feel in its tale of love, money and revenge.
With Emilio Echevarría, Goya Toledo, and Álvaro Guerrero turning in star performances, each of the tales reflect on the theme of loyalty. They display man’s inhumanity, as well as the cruelty humans inflict on animals.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Pan’s Labyrinth, directed by Mexico’s Guillermo del Toro, is certainly one film the viewer will not forget in a hurry. Set in Spain in 1944 it tells the mesmerising tale of a little girl named Ofelia who is the stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer. The stepfather’s job is to seek out and torture rebels in a remote village. To escape her stepfather’s abuse and the horror of watching her mother die, Ofelia escapes into a fantasy world where she may be the lost princess of the underworld.
Starring Ivana Baquero, and Sergi Lopez, this is a captivating film, which managed the rare feat of receiving both critical and public acclaim.
Waste Land
Waste Land is an inspiring and deeply moving social documentary directed by Lucy Walker, João Jardim and Karen Harley. It follows the artist Vik Muniz, who creates art out of recycled material, in his travels to Jardim Gramacho, a landfill outside Rio, which is reputed to be one of the largest in the world. An entire sub economy, based on extraction, sorting and trading of recyclable materials has built up around Jardim Gramacho – and the people who do this work are the focus of the documentary.
Known as the ‘catadores’, or garbage pickers, Muniz attempts to improve their lives via his art. He ends up staying for two years and this incredible documentary not only focuses on his story, but also the lives of the ‘catadores’ themselves and the remarkable journey they all undertake.
The author is a huge fan of South America and has blogged extensively on all aspects of this amazing continent from his experiences on Brazil holidays to the best of South America’s culture.
