Work in Progress

En construcción

Spain

2001

125 Min

Color

1.33:1

Catalan, Spanish

Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
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CAST Juana Rodríguez Molina, Iván Guzmán Jiménez, Juan López López, Juan Manuel López, Santiago Segade, Pedro Robles

ED Mercedes Álvarez, Núria Esquerra

SOUND Amanda Villavieja

San Sebastián (Competition): FIPRESCI Prize, Special Prize of the Jury, Rotterdam (Main Programme), Karlovy Vary (Variety Critics' Choice), Rotterdam (Signals)

Synopsis

One of the rare experimental filmmakers whose works often draw considerable audiences, José Luis Guerin here offers a delightful visual essay on the transformation of Barcelona’s “Barrio Chino” – so named because it was near the docks from which ships would embark for the Far East. Long known for its dimly lit cabarets, colorful characters and narrow back alleys, the Barrio inevitably began to fall victim to the wave of “urban renewal” that swept Barcelona around the time of the 1992 Olympic Games. Weaving together sequences of the Barrio’s inhabitants, the construction workers sent to tear it down, and visitors hoping to catch a last glimpse of history, as well as beautiful period footage that shows the Barrio Chino in its more notorious days, Guerin takes us on a journey to one of Spain’s most legendary neighborhoods. Awarded the International Critics’ Prize at the 2001 San Sebastian International Film Festival. —Film Society of Lincoln Center

Director

José Luis Guerín

José Luis Guerin was born in Barcelona. He started his career directing experimental films from 1975 to 1983, then directed his first feature film in 1983, Los Motivos de Berta. His film received a special price at the Berlin Forum. In 1988, José Luis Guerin directed the Spanish episode of City Life – the other episodes being directed by Reichenbach, Kieslowski, Agresti, Tarr, Sen et Rijneke. City Life was awarded in Berlin, Rotterdam and Montreal Film Festivals. In 1990, José Luis Guerin directed Innisfree, presented in competition at Cannes International Film Festival. In 1997, Tren de Sombras – presented during the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes – obtained the Golden and Silver Melies awarded by the European Federation of Fantasy Film Festivals. Then, in 2001, José Luis Guerin directed En construccion, awarded in San Sebastian Festival and, in 2007, En la ciudad de Sylvia, selected by the 2007 Venice Film Festival. —dissidenz.com

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Răpciune

19Oct11

Când o clădire moare, cand e siluită, spre cer, cu jale mare si plânset, se ridică un cor de fantome. Nu sunt însă fantomele oamenilor morţi acolo, ci ale lucrurilor, ale amintirilor, ale umbrelor, fantomele umbrelor moarte şi ele. Pentru că amintirile sunt ca bagajele: când sunt prea multe, ne descotorosim de ele şi atunci ele rămân lipite de lucrurile de care aparţin, rămân în urmă, mohorâte, abandonate. Când ...

Răpciune

19Oct11

dărâmăm o casă, le omorâm şi pe ele, le înecăm sub ruine, eliberând din ele eterul spiritului. Duhul amintirilor, ca un nor violaceu. Amintirile sunt cele ce îngrijesc lucrul, ca nişte sore de caritate, îi îngrijesc defectele, spărturile, crăpăturile, refac întregul imaginat acolo unde a rămas doar o jumătate, refac imaginar obiectul acolo unde a rămas din el doar o fărâmitură. Nu e aceasta şi munca arheologului, aceea de a reconstitui un obiect din mai nimic, dintr-un dinte sau un vârf de suliţă? Arheologul e cel ce reintroduce în memoria omenirii vii lucruri demult uitate, el e cel care, ca în Menon al lui Platon, moşeşte aducere aminte acolo unde părea să fie un loc gol, el e responsabil de maieutica istoriei. Sub pretextul descoperirii a ceva nou, el nu face decât să amintească, să readucă la lumina conştiinţei ceea ce a existat acolo dintotdeauna, dar a fost acoperit de uitare şi de alte lucruri şi edificii, însoţite de umbrele şi amintirile lor. " "