Ghosts and the Living. Jorge Thielen Armand's La Soledad

7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films WAT C H FILMS SERIES JOURNAL ABOUT SIGN IN SUBSCRIBE Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's La Soledad http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 1/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films La Soledad, Jorge Thielen Armand (2016) La Soledad opens with footage from a homemade super-8 m ov i e . T h e f i l m m a k e r ' s s o f t v o i c e - ov e r re c o u n t s h ow h e a n d h i s re l a t i v e s s p e n t w e e k e n d s a n d h o l i d a y s i n t h e summer house of his childhood, while cheer y people s m i l e t ow a rd t h e c a m e r a . The young man points out his g re a t - g r a n d f a t h e r L e l e l o a n d s p e a k s o f h i s e n c o u n t e r s w i t h h i m , e v e n i f t h e o l d m a n w a s a l re a d y d e a d w h e n t h e filmmaker was born. In t h e v i d e o , w e s e e Ro s i n a a n d h e r h u s b a n d , t h e f i l m m a k e r ' s g re a t - g r a n d p a re n t s ' c a re t a k e r s , w h o c l e a n e d t h e p r o p e r t y a n d a l s o l i v e d t h e re w i t h t h e i r g r a n d s o n , El Ne g r o ( Jo s é Do l o re s L ó p e z ) . La Soledad, Jorge Thielen Armand (2016) T h i s f o o t a g e s h ow s a t y p i c a l u p p e r - m i d d l e c l a s s L a t i n A m e r i c a n f a m i l y e n j oy i n g a d a y o u t d o o r s , w i t h d o m e s t i c http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 2/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films w o r k e r s s e r v i n g f o o d a n d a t t e n d i n g t o t h e c h i l d re n a s t h e i r o f f s p r i n g p l a y. L a S o l e d a d , h ow e v e r, i s n o t a n obvious tale of the deep-rooted racial and class d i f f e re n c e s t h a t p e r m e a t e t h a t h e m i s p h e re ' s s o c i a l f a b r i c . It p re s e n t s a m u c h m o re n u a n c e d , t e n s e , a n d c o m p l i c a t e d narrative immersed in an equally complex aesthetics. L a So l e d a d ( s o l i t u d e , l o n e l i n e s s i n Sp a n i s h ) n a m e s t h e r u n - d ow n h o u s e i n C a r a c a s , Ve n e z u e l a w h e re t h e m a i n s t o r y t a k e s p l a c e — a p l a c e ow n e d b y s o m e , n a m e l y t h e f i l m m a k e r ' s f a m i l y, b u t i n h a b i t e d b y o t h e r s , l i k e Ro s i n a : both dead and alive. It i s a l a n d s c a p e o f c o n f l i c t , d e s p a i r, a n d u n c e r t a i n t y w h e re i n t h e i n s u r m o u n t a b l e b a r r i e r b e t w e e n t h e s e o n e s w h o ow n p r o p e r t y a n d t h e others who work for them can be crossed at moments of e m p a t h y a n d s o l i d a r i t y. Bu t t h e h u rd l e i s , a n d a l w a y s will be, to impose the naked truth of the privilege these elites take for granted. T h e h o u s e L a So l e d a d i s , a t t h e s a m e t i m e , a s p a c e o f e x p l o r a t i o n a n d p o s s i b i l i t y. El Ne g r o i s m y s t e r i o u s l y d r a w n t o a c o n c e a l e d r o o m , w h e re a n u n n a m e d g h o s t — p o s s i b l y h i s ow n g r a n d f a t h e r, o r a f o r m e r s l a v e — p a s s e s him a silent message. He t h e n re m ov e s a b e a u t i f u l s c u l p t u re f r o m t h e h o u s e a n d t r a d e s i t f o r a m e t a l d e t e c t o r. El Ne g r o b e c o m e s o b s e s s e d w i t h f i n d i n g a b u r i e d t re a s u re — l a s m o r o c o t a s , o r g o l d c o i n s h i d d e n b y the slaves working for the filmmaker's ancestors. Ro s i n a e x p l a i n s t h a t t h e t re a s u re i s c u r s e d , r o o t e d i n t h e p a i n and suffering experienced by slaves inside the house. El Ne g r o f i n d s r a z o r b l a d e s i n s i d e a w a l l a n d f i n a l l y g i v e s up his expectant search. http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 3/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films T h e s e s c e n e s u n d e r s c o re t h e d i re c t o r ' s p o s i t i o n v i s - à - v i s Ve n e z u e l a , h i s c o u n t r y o f b i r t h i f n o t o f re s i d e n c e ( h e actually lives in Canada). St a g i n g t h e c l a s h e s b e t w e e n h i s ow n c l a s s a n d t h e p o o r a n d u n p r i v i l e g e d w h o h a v e historically ser ved them, Thielen Armand's opera prima evokes the complicated economic and political situation o f a n a t i o n t o r n b y d u re s s , c o n f l i c t , a n d c l a s s b a t t l e . A s c a r c i t y o f d i a l o g u e a n d m u l t i - l a y e re d c h a r a c t e r s a v o i d t h e c r a s s d i d a c t i c i s m t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e m a n y re c e n t L a t i n A m e r i c a n f i l m s a d d re s s i n g s u c h c o n c e r n s . The film's mise-en-scène and documentar y-style elements—footage o f t h e f a m i l i e s , t h e u s e o f p r o t a g o n i s t s ' re a l n a m e s , re a l b l o o d t i e s a n d t h e e m p l oy m e n t re l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e n b o t h f a m i l i e s — a re a c t u a l l y p a r t o f a s c r i p t e d s t o r y. Ro s i n a w a s p l a y e d b y h e r o l d e r d a u g h t e r, s c e n e s w e re re h e a r s e d , a n d t h e n o n - p r o f e s s i o n a l a c t o r s w h o p l a y t h e m s e l v e s w e re c a re f u l l y c o a c h e d b y a p r o f e s s i o n a l , t h e v e r y s k i l l f u l Ta t i a n a Ma b o. The astonishingly crafted photography glimpses at the h a rd l i f e o f t h o s e w h o h a v e l i t t l e o u t s i d e o f L a S o l e d a d . El Ne g r o s t r o l l s t h e c i t y l o o k i n g f o r Ro s i n a ' s b l o o d p re s s u re m e d i c a t i o n t o n o a v a i l , w h i l e Ma r l e y, El Ne g r o ' s w i f e a n d a s t r o n g p re s e n c e i n b o t h t h e h o u s e a n d t h e film, cleans a wonderful modern home, the opposite of the one in which she lives. Once splendorous in a b y g o n e e r a , L a So l e d a d i s n ow d i l a p i d a t e d a n d i n h a b i t e d by the ghosts of the past. http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 4/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films La Soledad, Jorge Thielen Armand (2016) A n d y e t , Ro s i n a ' s f a m i l y w a n t s t o s t a y i n L a So l e d a d , even if Thielen Armand's family had decided to sell it. B o t h El Ne g r o a n d Ro s i n a d e f i a n t l y s e n s e i t i s t h e i r p re r o g a t i v e t o s t a y i n a h o u s e t h a t d o e s n o t l e g a l l y belong to them. This belief opens onto alternative forms o f c l a s s re l a t i o n s c i r c u l a t i n g a r o u n d t h e n o t i o n o f possession. No n e o f L a S o l e d a d ' s c h a r a c t e r s p l a y t h e paternalistic game classically imposed by Latin American elites, who tend to feel invaded by the poor and expect gratitude from their domestics, even if the domestics re c e i v e w h a t i s t h e i r s , b e t h e s e f a i r w a g e s o r compensation after a lifetime of ser vice. Re f e re n c e s t o s l a v e r y — t h e re g i o n ' s f o u n d i n g i n s t i t u t i o n o f w e a l t h s t i l l e n j oy e d b y m a n y m e m b e r s o f t h e e l i t e — m a y c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e f i r m n e s s o f El Ne g r o a n d h i s f a m i l y ' s c l a i m s t o a s p a c e l e g a l l y ow n e d b y o t h e r s . http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 5/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films La Soledad, Jorge Thielen Armand (2016) O n e o f 1 2 s e l e c t e d p r o j e c t s i n t h e Bi e n n a l e C o l l e g e C i n e m a , L a S o l e d a d w a s s h ow n a t t h e 7 3 rd Ve n i c e In t e r n a t i o n a l Fi l m Fe s t i v a l a n d m a n y o t h e r f e s t i v a l s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d , i n c l u d i n g t h e Fe s t i v a l o f Ve n e z u e l a n C i n e m a , w h e re i t w o n B e s t Fi r s t Fi l m a n d B e s t So u n d . Ye t t h i s w a s t h e s o l e v e n u e i n t h e c o u n t r y w h e re t h e f i l m w a s s c re e n e d f o r t h e p u b l i c ; L a S o l e d a d h a s n o t b e e n re l e a s e d c o m m e r c i a l l y i n Ve n e z u e l a . D e s p i t e t h e d i re p re c a r i o u s n e s s o f i t s c u r re n t s i t u a t i o n , Ve n e z u e l a ' s p a s t f i f t e e n y e a r s h a v e e n j oy e d a f l o u r i s h i n g c u l t u r a l s p h e re , characterized by the emergence of new initiatives in the w o r l d o f l i t e r a t u re a n d t h e v i s u a l a n d a u d i ov i s u a l a r t s . It i s a m a s s i v e l o s s f o r Ve n e z u e l a n m ov i e g o e r s t h a t L a Soledad is absent from cinemas in the countr y it intends t o p o r t r a y. In d e e d , Ve n e z u e l a ' s p o l i t i c a l s i t u a t i o n t o d a y, i n 2 0 1 9 , h a s d e t e r i o r a t e d e n o r m o u s l y i n re l a t i o n t o t h e time the film was produced. And yet ever ything seems p o s s i b l e i n t h e f i l m ' s f i n a l s c e n e w h e n El Ne g r o , i n t h e open space of a beach he and his family visit, drifts in t h e i n f i n i t e b l u e s e a , f re e o f t h e m u l t i p l e c o n s t r a i n t s t h e y a re s u b j e c t e d t o , i n a f l e e t i n g m o m e n t t h a t s t i l l f e e l s everlasting. http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 6/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films La Soledad, Jorge Thielen Armand (2016) WATC H L A S O L E D A D // E s s a y b y Dr. Pa u l a H a l p e r i n A s s o c i a t e Pr o f e s s o r o f C i n e m a St u d i e s a n d Hi s t o r y S U N Y Pu r c h a s e Gu e s t Cu r a t o r, Fi l m a t i q u e http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 7/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films ← Penélope: Artisanal Argentine Cinema Non-Places in Miko Revereza's No Data Plan → Related ar ticles / essays Pop Aye : A Encha nt ing Pre car i ou s Pen él ope: Ma st er fu l Enco unt e rs Li fe a t Ar t i sa nal Sym p hony of a nd Ixca nu l Ar ge nt ine Su bdu e d Ca p i t al i st Vo l cano Ci ne ma Em ot i ons , Cr i ti q u es i n a nd a Cr y Mo re Than for t he Ri g ht Ho ney t o t he C i ty Ghos ts a nd No n-Pl ace s The Da rk est The t he Li v i ng: i n Mi k o Ani m al i n Im p os si ble Jor g e Re vere z a's Fel i p e Re tu r n: Saï d Thi el en No Da ta Gu er rero's Ha mi ch's Ar m and 's La Pl an Osc uro Ret ur n t o An ima l Bo ll ène So le da d Tr ace s of t he Me te or s: The Me te or s a nd Tee nag e Bl a ck Ep he me r al t he Tr u t h in Di a sp or a i n Cr yst a l li z i ng Pre ser vat i on So mo s Mar i Vira m und o of His to r y, of Mem or y Pep a or Tr a um a Becom e s Myt hol og y http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 8/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films Af te rl ov a nd Drea m and Au st erli tz: Crea t i ng t he Lo ss i n Two Sel fi es i n t he Som et hi ng Per m a nent Gat es of Sle ep Co ncent r at i o Ou t o f Ca m p No thi ng in Cr i si s of You t h Fo r t he Pl as m a Su n Do n't Mino ta uro: Thea t re, Object s o f Shine: A Drea m s, Crea t io n, Desi re a nd Swam p l and Ho pe s, a nd a nd Fem a le Su bt le Fever Drea m Ever yd ay Fr ie nds hip Bea ut y i n Li fe i n t he i n Ve r m el ho An is hoa ra Fil m s o f Rus s o Nico l ás (Rus s ia n Red ) Pere da The Fi re i s In Bed wi t h Sw ag g er a nd El Tie mpo Abo u t t o Co nt em p or ar Ne w Nubl ad o: St ar t : French Su bu rba n The Et hics Hi st or y and Ci ne ma : Ci ne ma of Act iv i st Me mo r y i n Vict or ia Do cum e nta r y Ind epe nd ên cia Fi lm m ak i ng Dea th, Gi rim un ho: Cha ll at of Co mi ng Deso la t i on, Li fe Tuni s: Fo r t h by a nd Im a gi ned i n Sex i sm , Li es, Da y, or How Dyst o pi a i n t he a nd Co nde nsed Co m pu t er Ti m e a nd El Lim pia d or http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 9/10 7/31/2019 Ghosts and the Living: Jorge Thielen Armand's <em>La Soledad</em> — Filmatique - Watch Great Films (The Ba ck la nd s of Ga m es i n Sp a ce Revea l Cleaner) Mi nas Ger a is Tu ni si a t he Re vol u t i on Cha os by The Desi gn: Miscreants Harag a nd W'Marag Tr ans nat i ona l (Chaos, Mo rocca n Disorder) Ci ne ma CONTACT © 2 0 1 9 Fi l m a t i q u e http://www.filmatique.com/essays-1/2019/7/10/ghosts-and-the-living-jorge-thielen-armands-la-soledad 10/10