The violent shadow of Guatemala’s decades-long civil war looms large, a deeply political thriller about a family of two trying to stay together as the fighting chases them abroad. does Written and directed by César Díaz, whose 2019 Cannes Caméra d’Or winner also tackles the deadly effects of the Guatemalan conflict, it’s an interesting if somewhat left-wing second feature Bérénice Béjo ( As a militant, it forces a decision between revolution and revolution. motherhood
According to the press note, Diaz based the story on his own childhood, and it is clearly authentic as it depicts the underground life the workers were forced to live in at the time. In which a suitcase was always packed so that they could escape at any moment. . What’s less believable is the film’s heightened emotional atmosphere and predictable sequence of events, even if they lead to a moving finale that manages to pull the rug out from under us.
Mexico 86
The bottom line
An interesting story of motherhood and revolution.
Location: Locarno Film Festival (Pizza Grande)
Cast: Berenice Bijou, Matthew Libby, Leonardo Ortizgares, Julieta Aguirola, Ferman Martinez
Director, Screenwriter: Cesar Diaz
1 hour 29 minutes
If there was a sobering narrative about the long-term traumatic effects of war, it hits the ground running and never really gives up. After a scene set in Guatemala in 1976, in which activist and recent mother María (Bijo) witnesses her husband’s murder by government thugs in broad daylight, we move to her residence in Mexico City. Flash forward 10 years to find Gah, where she wears a wig. known as Julia and works as an editor in a progressive newspaper.
Maria is far from home but still deeply embroiled in her own fight, teaming up with a co-worker, Miguel (Leonardo Ortizgares), and the Guatemalan military-backed — and U.S.-backed — dictatorship. Trying hard to fight from afar. She’s also doing her best to stay close with her 10-year-old son Marco (Matthew Libby), who lives back home with Maria’s mother (Juliet Agrarola). When the two arrive for a visit to Mexico and Marco ends up staying, it puts Maria in a tough spot: How can she be a good parent while waging a secret war against the right-wing junta?
The Dilemma recalls one of Sidney Lumet’s 1988 masterpieces, a similar tale of family ties and left-wing revolutionaries that was made two years after the events of that film. But where Lumet’s devastating coming-of-age story delivers a big shot to the heart, particularly in its portrayal of a young man trying to break out from under his parents’ heavy shadow, the overall Emotionally less efficient, and works best during her handful. Suspense sequences
A Maria receives a secret document about a Guatemalan mass murder before her contact is stabbed to death on a crowded street. In another strong scene, she escapes her apartment with Miguel and Marco, leading to a car chase with the secret police. When they get stuck in a traffic jam, the chase turns into a shootout, with Maria holding a gun to Marco’s head at one point – implying that she would rather sacrifice her own child than hand him over to the enemy. will do
There is a way out of all this, but it’s a difficult one: the operative overseeing Maria (played by Fermin Martinez) tells her that she can send Marco to a “hive” in Cuba. where he will be raised with his other children. Revolution in relative safety But the bond between mother and son seems to be growing stronger, despite some rocky moments, and Maria clearly doesn’t want to give up on Marco or the larger war.
Bijou, whose own parents fled the dictatorship in Argentina and settled in France, does a good job portraying Maria’s juggling between family and political commitments. The path his character takes feels obvious at times, and Diaz’s script generally lacks depth, even if it’s rooted in true events. Yet the director manages to land a powerful ending that puts Marco front and center in a big way, even if it comes a little late.
The film’s title refers to the 1986 World Cup, which took place in Mexico and is never referenced except for a few moments. The larger background of the story is what happened in Guatemala during the dark years of its many dictatorships, including the genocide of the early 80s that left hundreds of thousands dead. If anything, Diaz succeeds in conveying just how deadly the conflict in his homeland really was, tearing apart loving families in a foreign land.
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