Mexico
Never forget the worst part of the history in Latin America with Olvidados (Forgotten)
By GTVW staff
Photos Agency
Directed by Mexico’s Carlos Bolado and starring Damián Alcázar, and produced by Carla Ortiz, a Bolivian actress and humanitarian known for her roles in Los Andes No Creen en Dios and The Man Who Shook The Hand of Vicente Fernández, her first film is an epic, historical feature that tackles the dark past of Latin America under military dictatorships in the 70s.
Olvidados follows retired General José Mendieta (Alcázar), who after suffering a heart attack, is haunted by his dark past as an officer in Operation Condor, the CIA-backed campaign of political repression in Latin America that was responsible for executions, torture, and imprisonments in the 1970’s. It is estimated that over 400,000 people were imprisoned and 30,000 forcibly disappeared as a result of these government actions.
In a letter to his son Pablo (Bernardo Peña), Mendieta confesses the role he played in the abduction, persecution, and execution of countless men and women during his posting to Chile. Journalist Marco (Carlotto Cotta) and his pregnant wife Luciá (Carla Ortiz) are among those who were arrested, along with their activist friend Antonio (Tomás Fonzi) and revolutionary Andrea (Ana Calentano). They suffer terribly under Mendieta and his cohort Sanera (Rafael Ferro), which leads to a cascade of betrayals, secrets, and more. Definitely the visceral terror of torture so powerfully with renowned actors from five countries appear in this international production, which specifically address the horrors perpetrated under Operation Condor, a CIA-backed plan introduced by Richard Nixon’s Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, which was responsible for: 50,000 killed; 30,000 “disappeared”; and 400,000 arrested and imprisoned in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Definitely, you will feel the real suffering of Mendieta’s persecution of a journalist, his pregnant wife, and their revolutionary friend in the midst of growing social unrest.
"This is Not a Ball” is a groundbreaking story
By Jenny Alvarez
Photos by Courtesy
This is Not a Ball is a documentary that follows the creative process of acclaimed Brazilian artist Vik Muniz in the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup as he plans and creates a major new artwork made of 10,000 soccer balls.
The documentary follows Muniz as he explores the global passion for soccer and the game’s central object, the ball. In his journey, Muniz interacts with some of the most playful minds in science, like astrophysicist Neil deGrass Tyson and some of the most extraordinary soccer players in the world, like the Sierra Leone Amputee Soccer League. While the beginning of the film is promising enough, it seems that problems arise when Muniz forcefully attempts to inject himself as a key player. The journey, an exploration of the passion for soccer that evolves into a history of the ball (a sort of film version of the anthropologist John Fox’s 2012 book, “The Ball”) but in general is stronger than ever even you will see poverty, the oppression, and the daily life difficulties, at the end of the day the passion for the soccer is a tradition handed down over generations. Definitely you will distinguish a story full of adventures in organization and production that involves a Soccer ball, team and soccer aficionados.
A profound story told in a deceptively simple way: Bless Me, Ultima
Review by Jenny Alvarez
Photos: Courtesy
Based on the best-selling Chicano novel of all time by Rudolfo Anaya, the mystical coming-of-age film BLESS ME, ULTIMA debuts on DVD September 17th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Written for the screen and directed by Carl Franklin, BLESS ME, ULTIMA is based on the novel by Rudolfo Anaya. This movie is a story about Antonio Marez (Ganalon), a young boy growing up in New Mexico during World War II. When a mysterious curandera (healer) named Ultima (Colon) comes to live with his family, she teaches him about the power of the spiritual world. As their relationship grows, Antonio begins to question the strict Catholic doctrine that he has been taught by his parents (Heredia and Martinez). Through a series of mysterious and at times terrifying events, Antonio must grapple with questions about his own destiny, the relationship between good vs. evil, and ultimately how to reconcile Ultima’s powers with those of the God of his church.
The success of the entire movie depends on child actor Luke Ganalon, and he does an excellent job in the title role. This movie is full of deliberate pace, reliance on Catholic symbolism, and sensitive wit certain topics as hypocrisy, family, life, death, religion with their failures. The story in general is very engaging, powerful and full of flashback structures and is consider a Brilliant, gentle and beautiful film of life in northern New Mexico in the mid 1940’s.
Cantinflas is alive!
Galatview : Staff
In honor of Cantinflas birthday on August 12, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is debuting with famous titles featuring the legendary comic through their Sony Pictures Choice Collection.
In case you’re unfamiliar, the Sony Pictures Choice Collection is a manufacture-on-demand service featuring never-before-released on DVD titles from more than 75 years of the Columbia Pictures film library.
The Cantinflas titles are:
Barrendero (1982)
Don Napo (Cantinflas, Around the World in Eighty Days) is a city maintenance worker, sweeping up dirt while dancing, singing and flirting with the maids in the neighborhood. One day, Don Napo comes across an abandoned baby in his garbage; the next day, a valuable painting appears in his trashcan. A series of wild events leads Don Napo to face crooked criminals, and he’ll need the help of all of his friends to take them down and save the day!
Conserje En Condominio (1974)
Úrsulo (Cantinflas, Around the World in Eighty Days) is a fast-talking wisecracker who finagles his way into a job as the manager of an upscale apartment building where each tenant is crazier than the last! Dealing with psychics, quarreling couples and young hipsters causing trouble throughout the building, Úrsulo handles everything with wisdom, creativity and humor. While dealing with many issues in the building, he meets Clodomira (Raquel Olmedo, Los Indolentes), a maid for one of the rich women in the building, and they find themselves falling for each other.
Don Quijote Cabalga de Nuevo (1973)
Loosely based on the legendary novel by Miguel de Cervantes, this film follows the adventures of Don Quijote (Fernando Fernán Gómez, All About My Mother) and his faithful sidekick, Sancho Panza (Cantinflas, Around the World in Eighty Days). Don Quijote goes from village to village with Sancho, often on a misguided quest to honor the knight’s confused sense of chivalry, thus leading them into hilarious situations and getting the duo into constant trouble.
ABOUT CANTINFLAS:
Mario Moreno, aka “Cantinflas” created a simple, universal character whose roundabout phrases and meaningless speeches confounded those around him, but delighted Spanish-speaking audiences for decades. “Cantinflas,” whom the legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin dubbed “the funniest man in the world,” began his career in the 1930s in the “carpas” (tent shows) in Mexico City. After early attempts to find his comedic voice, he embraced his own heritage as a lowly slum dweller and audiences enthusiastically endorsed this comic persona. With his tiny mustache tipping the corner of his mouth, a cockeyed cap over dark, disheveled hair, dirty vest and a rope for a belt, Cantinflas became the idol of the masses by satirizing the police and politicians.
As a pioneer in the Mexican film industry, he helped usher in its golden era. His foray into American cinema landed him a Golden Globe as Best Actor for his role in Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), but his comedic presence shined brightest in his Spanish language films. People everywhere identified with the struggles of this winsome ragamuffin, and when he died in 1993, thousands endured a violent downpour in order to touch his casket as it lay in state. His funeral was a national event, lasting three days and attended by the presidents of Mexico, Peru, and El Salvador, and the United States Senate held a moment of silence for him.
No is not a simple denied statement
By Jenny Alvarez
Photo:Courtesy
When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra, to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot’s watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.
This movie is a worthy effort to show how a country really came together and changed its destiny focusing on joy and creativity and trying to leave behind fear and anger. Larraín maintains a studiously ambiguous attitude toward the No campaign, celebrating its success in winning the referendum — though the outcome is known from history, the film still manages to be tense, suspenseful — while asking what was sacrificed in that victory so the director seems to situate the debased state of contemporary politics in this transformation. The No of his title takes on ominous new meaning in that light. Besides, there are some decent ironic moments and the late 1980s ambience is competently brought back to life in costumes and production design. It is a movie that really makes you to think about politics and definitely Pablo Larraín has made interesting films like “Post Mortem” and this one is not an exception.
Batman Live is stunning in his first appearance in Los Angeles
By GalaTView.com
Photos By: Alfonso De Elias
For the first time in DC Comics’ history, Batman – the world’s most popular DC Super Hero – is now an all-new, live-action arena adventure. BATMAN LIVE – World Arena Tour is a 15 million dollar stage production with an engrossing and original story featuring a cast of 42 actors and circus trained acrobats, a 3D Gotham landscape, a symphonic score recorded by a 92-piece symphony orchestra, custom-built and state-of-the-art stage, a 100-foot bat-shaped LED wall, big flight sequences, illusions, pyrotechnics and the impressive BATMOBILE designed especially for the show by legendary race car driver Professor Gordon Murray. It’s a colorful, loud, funny and theatrical show with different characters involved such as The Cat Woman which first trapeze fight scene was dire, the joker all of them full of magic tricks, stunts, lighting and sound effects. So it’s great enough to entertain anyone who attends.
Michael Clarke Duncan died
By GalaTView Staff
Photo Courtesy
Michael Clarke Duncan’s fiance, Omarosa Manigault (of The Apprentice fame), found him unconscious on the floor of their house after suffering a cardiac arrest. Doctors said that tests were performed Monday and doctors determined Michael has a “very strong heartbeat” and they were optimistic. However, the 54-year-old actor continued with heart problems and sadly succumbed to ongoing complications on the morning of September 3, 2012.
Two great Hollywood Stars will be at Venice Film Festival
Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts wore their summery best as the first of the Hollywood jet-set to arrive in the historic city in order to attend the 69th Venice Film Festival in Italy.
Enrique Iglesias and JLove were in a concert with great Euphoria and Glamour
By Jenny Álvarez
Photo: Alfonso De Elías
Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez were together at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA in an amazing concert!
Enrique Iglesias surprised his fans (mostly women) with hits such as “Be with You”, “Dirty Dancer”, “I like it”, “Rhythm Divine”, “Tonight” among other hits. He also was singing the most successful cover “Stand by Me” with one of his fans who went up to the stage making his participation the most original and entertaining. However, the only criticism of his performance was the lack of Spanish songs because, although the concert is in the United States, there also were Hispanic fans and Enrique did not sing any of his most successful songs in Spanish that many of his followers expected. On the other hand, women were well represented by Jennifer Lopez or JLove with a Broadway-style presentation, full of energetic dancers including her boyfriend Casper Smart, who definitely showed his dancing skills alongside JLo in “Dance Again.”
In the middle of her concert, there was a video which had several photographs and videos of her children, singing very emotional, “Until It Beats No More.” This song was full of emotions due JLo showed her maternal side and shared to the public.
Lopez made several costume changes, and made a major review of her discography, which was from his first album with “If you have my love” to recent hits like “On the floor” and “Follow the Leader”, the latter successful song, made with Wisin & Yandel, a couple of leaders of reggaeton, a music style created in Puerto Rico.
