By DCist contributor Elena Goukassian
If you’re in the mood for a new Mexican movie that doesn’t star Gael Garcia Bernal, you’re in luck. Tonight through this weekend at the GALA Hispanic Theatre, Reel Time at GALA presents seven Latin American films—from Mexico, Argentina, and El Salvador—and you’ll find those piercing eyes in exactly none of them. (Not that Bernal is bad; but there’s more to Latin American Cinema.)
Now in its fifth year, Reel Time at GALA offers a little something for everyone—dramas, comedies, documentaries, and even the 1943 Mexican classic Flor Silvestre (Wild Flower) (October 30 at 4 p.m.).
“They’re all carefully selected and all very different,” says Carlos Gutiérrez, who curates the festival each year. “I like to show a diversity of films and subject matter. For a lot of people, Latin America is a single block; I want to demystify Latin American cinema.”
Based in New York, Gutiérrez is co-founder of Cinema Tropical, a non-profit that promotes and distributes Latin American cinema throughout the U.S. Gutiérrez calls it “an informal embassy for Latin American film.”
DCist previewed some of the films in this year’s festival. All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance and available to answer questions after the screenings.
(Cinema Tropical)
La Calle de los Pianistas (Pianists Street) (Argentina, 2016)
Classical music buffs will love this documentary about next-door neighbors in Brussels, Belgium who share Argentine heritage and exceptional musical talent. The Tiempo-Lechner family, known for its long line of wunderkind pianists, shares a wall with world-renowned pianist Martha Argerich. The film follows complex relationships, both interpersonal and musical, with a focus on pianist Karin Lechner and her 14-year-old daughter, Natasha, a blossoming pianist in her own right.
Watch the trailer.
Tonight, October 26 at 7 p.m.
Josefa (Cinema Tropical)
Alborada (El Salvador, 2015)
In this hour-long documentary, director Paula Heredia interviews her elderly mother Josefa, a former guerilla leader, and gets to know her mother’s neighbors in a small town in El Salvador. Josefa tells heroic stories of her time as a revolutionary, stories she has kept secret for years. Meanwhile, her friends and neighbors—many of whom had loved ones murdered by insurgents—have a hard time picturing the nice old lady as a guerrilla. As one woman points out, both sides were just taking orders. “Nobody was to blame. It was war,” she says.
Thursday, October 27 at 7 p.m.
(Cinema Tropical)
La Delgada Línea Amarila (The Thin Yellow Line) (Mexico, 2015)
Half-comedy, half-drama, La Delgada Línea Amarila, which previously screened during Film Fest DC, tells the story of five men who are hired to paint the median on 120 miles of highway. It’s like a road movie where characters get to know each other, kid around, and have explosive arguments, with the added pressure of completing what looks like the most boring and exhausting job in the world. (They take turns pushing the paint cart down the highway, counting the number of steps for when to hold down and let go of the paint lever.) The film is emotionally powerful and beautifully shot, often taking on the appearance of a living painting.
Watch the trailer.
Friday, October 28 at 7 p.m.
(Cinema Tropical)
El Incendio (The Fire) (Argentina, 2015)
El Incendio begins like a heist movie, with wads of dollar bills smuggled under clothing. But it quickly shifts gears to a dramatic thriller—about relationships. As a young couple tries to navigate buying a house in Buenos Aires, their ties begin to unravel in the most unnerving, suspenseful manner. Exposing every facet of their humanity, this couple gives us a frightening look into the corruption and socioeconomic disparity of Buenos Aires.
Watch the trailer.
Sunday, October 30 at 7 p.m.
Reel Time runs through October 30 at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St NW. Tickets are available online.
