After reading Odessa’s post (author of the inspirational blog freefalling me) about the film Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamtress, I started thinking about independent movies I’ve seen recently, and Viva Cuba came to mind.
Viva Cuba, written and directed by Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti, tells the story of a girl and a boy on the cusp of puberty who go on a cross-country trek to find the girl’s father. It’s a movie about children, but not made for children, one of my favorite genres. Just as Odessa found Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, I found this movie at my local library. It’s part of a monthly film club sponsored at a site called Film Movement.
Film Movement features independent and foreign (to me) films from all over the globe. I tend to gravitate toward independent films because the stories are intimate, the acting authentic, the photography inspired. Independent film makers need the film to tell the story because they can’t rely on the Hollywood machine and special effects to carry the day for them.
And when a theatrical presentation costs $10.00 a show, I’d rather spend my money on a high-quality DVD I can watch several times over if I choose to, in my own home. And when my library subscribes, it’s even better.
Here’s a short list of movies about children but not made for children that I especially like:
The Bicycle Thief
My Life as a Dog
Valentin
Por la libre (in English billed as Dust to Dust. In Spanish it means ‘on the freeway’.)
And I can’t forget the blockbusters, Slumdog Millionaire and Pan’s Labyrinth.
What about you? Any coming-of-age films you’d like to share?
Balanced On the Edge 