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Bolivia

Netherlands, Argentina

2001

75 Min
Black and White
1.66:1
Spanish
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
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DIR Adrián Caetano

EXEC Roberto Ferro, Matías Mosteirín

PROD Adrián Caetano, Lita Stantic

SCR Adrián Caetano, Romina Lanfranchini

DP Julián Apezteguia

CAST Freddy Flores, Rosa Sánchez, Oscar Bertea, Enrique Liporace, Marcelo Videla, Héctor Anglada, Alberto Mercado

ED Santiago Ricci, Lucas Scavino

MUSIC Los Kjarkas

Cannes (Semaine de la critique): Young Critics Award, London (World Cinema): FIPRESCI Prize, Rotterdam (Hubert Bals Fund): KNF Award, San Sebastián: Made in Spanish Award, Karlovy Vary (Forum of Independents)

Synopsis

Homesickness and xenophobia in Buenos Aires. Neo-realistic and melancholy drama about an illegal Bolivian immigrant who finds a job as a chef in a grill restaurant.

During the opening credits of Bolivia, we see TV fragments of a soccer match between Argentina and Bolivia. This makes it clear just how the two countries get on: under the jeering and chauvinist commentary of an Argentine presenter the Bolivian side is hacked to pieces. The Bolivian Freddie left his wife and children to seek work in Argentina. He finds a job as a cook in a grill restaurant in Buenos Aires. The clientele, largely coarse beer-drinking drivers, view the new cook with suspicion and disgust: why did the owner take on a foreigner when there are so many unemployed Argentineans? Freddie works away in silence and tries to ignore the provocative insults of the drivers. He does make friends with the waitress (who is however also the sweetheart of one of the regulars) and holds his boss in high regard. But if you bind yourself to anything, you get yourself into deep water…The story of Bolivia is largely set in the restaurant, where the camera stays close to the characters. Dialogues are only used sparingly. The black and white images of everyday life in the restaurant and the significant looks of guests and staff are enough to sketch a sultry mood, while the melancholy Bolivian music fits in perfectly with this story about xenophobia and nostalgia. –IFFR

Director

Original

Adrián Caetano

Israel Adrián Caetano (born 1969 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is an Uruguayan-Argentine film director, producer and screenplay writer.

He’s often credited as Adrián Caetano. He works mainly in the cinema of Argentina and at times obtains funding for his films in Europe. He lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

At age of sixteen his family moved to Córdoba, Argentina. When older he shot several short videos including Visite Carlos Paz, and Calafate.

In 1995 Caetano won a prize in a script contest he entered. The money won allowed him to film the short Down Hill (Cuesta abajo), his first work filmed in 35mm. Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes (1998, co-directed with Bruno Stagnaro) followed. The film was well received at the various film festivals it screened.

In 1996 Caetano won a Media Arts Fellowship, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation in New York.

Caetano also directs television commercial and programs.

In 2005 Caetano returned to Uruguay to shoot the mini… read more

Wall

Displaying 2 wall posts.
Picture of Joshua Dysart

Joshua Dysart

9Mar12

Vérité exploration of racism and immigration in Buenos Aires during their economic crises in the early oughts. Working class down to its very form and scope. Beautifully simple and resonating with truthful performances. A morally and aesthetically ambitious act of art.

Picture of Lorna Singh

Lorna Singh

9Jun11

In his first feature film,director Caetano takes on complex issues,showing immigrant life on the fringe in a realistic way.The close ups convey a real feel of the small cafe,where most scenes are set.

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