“MACHUCA” Filmed in Spanish with English subtitles. A must see for those who enjoy the fine art of film-making.

Al Vasquez/CEO Hispanic Image Marketing Network, Inc.

Cinemas Palme D’Ore will be showing the Menemsha Film “Machuca” starting Friday 20th at the Westfield Shopping Town (Mall) in Palm Desert.

Having reviewed the film, I can only offer praise for this remarkably grounded film.

The film was set in 1973-before, during and shortly after the fall of the Salvador Allende socialist regime in Chile and it stays very much in focus with life as witnesses have described it. The film gives a view of life from the perspective of two distinct groups of children; the rich and the poor. The haves’ rooting for the overthrow of Allende while the have nots’ identify more closely with the Allende Socialist regime. The film depicts the cruel realities of life for Chile’s children and the uncompromising similarities in their search to fulfill emotional needs.

The film depicts a heart tugging friendship among a rich boy , a poor boy and girl while other school, family and church dramas are going on around them. This is a very realistic film that deals with harsh realities within the context of exuberant youth. The film does not dwell in the often agonizing drama of suffering, death and torture associated with revolutions. The film does cover these events from the convoluted energy of youth, celebration and the art of making money through the hawking of cigarettes and flags at demonstrations. The film does not come across as a political statement but rather an emotional perspective of a slice of life within the confines of youth and an emerging revolution.

Machuca was the this years official Chilean Oscar selection and has already won numerous awards at Film Festivals in Chile, Vancouver, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Belgium. The film was directed by Andres Wood who actually lived through the Allende dictatorship in Chile. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles. There is a smattering of English spoken within the film mostly as a form of comic relief.

Editors note: This is the type of thought provoking, sought after film that would easily be selected for the opening film of the International Hispanic Film Festival. This years 5th International Hispanic Film Festival is scheduled for October 14, 15 and 16 at the Cinemas Palme D’ Ore in Palm Desert.