Not to judge (Something unusual or different), has to be one of the hardest things we have to learn in this tortuous path we've called life. We must be clear, stereotype and tag superficially, is easy, common and fast these days.
By an interesting exercise of observation, 'Blanco', debut feature of filmmaker Melvin Duran, in some way reflects that pathological need we have to label everything we interact with, but as expressed in the popular saying: we can't judge the book by its cover. Duran achieves to lead us through the lives of six characters in such an intimate way that at the end of the documentary is impossible not to have great empathy with these albinos, who reside in the elevated city of Constanza, located at the north of the country. Dosing the viewer brilliantly, we travel from the periphery of each one of these stories to get to the essence of these foreign apparent individuals...their sorrows, their joys and the reason why they get up every day. Dropping at the end, any prejudices or judgment we've done at the start.
Told with the necessary fluidity thanks to the editing of Israel Cárdenas (Jean Gentil, Carmita) emerges this movie of anonymous people, people who represent the true identity of the common Dominican, their value. Folks like Ariel, whose innocence and humility make him think big, in such a touching and authentic way that reminds us places we sometimes lose or forget along the way.
'Blanco' is a film so vast and grandiloquent visually speaking, that without proper balance could result annoying and too heavy, but the director knows that cinema is an art of image and intelligently with the great cinematography of Gabriel Valencia create such sublime sequences that need no extra dressing. We note the Influences, the codes, but don't be fooled; they are practiced independently, in such personal way and with a clear focus that it does nothing more than raising even further the manufacture of this work.
This film is a strong proof of what documentaries have become in the past few years, a genre that surpasses the "labels"; it's also a big step in the young Dominican cinematography. A work everybody who truly loves cinema should see.