Corazón azul

I saw Corazon Azul at a college screening followed by a Q&A with the director/producer and leading actress/producer. It does not have a distributor, so outside of festivals and college screenings it is virtually impossible to see. That is a shame. The film itself is overwhelming, more so considering the difficult conditions under which it was made and its minuscule budget. It is framed by a sci-fi premise (similar to Gattaca) but is not really a sci-fi movie. It is also a critique of the Cuban regime, but that doesn't seem to be the point either. Plot here is secondary to metaphor and the visual splendor. There are a variety of film styles, all executed to perfection. A long scene in an abandoned building will have viewers swearing it was made by Tarkovsky (and the filmmaker acknowledged a debt in the Q&A). But there is also deft use of montage via altered news clips, a scene that reminded me of Scanners, a beautifully done sexual sequence, and great acting. What does it all add up to? The filmmaker said he was less interested in explaining than in creating an emotional response. There are mulitiple branches of interpretation; it's up to the viewer to make an effort. I compare this to Stalker, which has spurred tons of writing (including a book by Geoff Dyer) in attempts to explain it. The visual effects pointed out in a supplemental reel by the director are amazing for a film that cost $10,000. While watching the film none of the artifice was detectable (by me anyway). The whole project was done on the fly, on the run, over 10 years by some very dedicated and courageous artists who had to deal with Cuban authorities, who have banned the film. Congratulations to Miguel Coyula, Lynn Cruz and everyone involved for a magnificent achievement.