I'm going to Colombia very shortly, with my partner who is from Bogota. I'm trying to watch as much South American stuff as possible, and Colombian stuff in particular. I've seen Rodrigo D (poor quality DVD, great film) and La Venderora de Rosas.
Any others people would recommend? I'm about to watch Bolivar Soy Yo, which looks interesting.
Colombian Films on DVD
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Gregory
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm
Re: Colombian Films on DVD
Most of what is available is from the last couple of decades, and it sounds like you've already seen some of the most familiar titles. If you liked Bolívar Soy Yo, you could check out Triana’s previous film Oedipus Mayor (from Facets). Rodrigo D exemplifies the consistent focus on social violence in the country's recent output, which includes a good historical film set in the era of La Violencia, Confessing to Laura (available cheaply on VHS).
There are also films by Colombian filmmakers that were filmed in other countries, such as Ilona llega con la lluvia. Conversely, you have works by foreign filmmakers that were shot in Colombia. One of the most widely seen fiction films in this category is Barbet Schroeder’s Our Lady of the Assassins, which was written by Colombian filmmaker and writer Fernando Vallejo. Paramount put this out on DVD with a good anamorphic transfer, although it's bare-bones, and they lose extra points for misspelling "Colombia" on the back cover! As for documentaries on Colombia, a personal favorite of mine is titled Shotguns and Accordions: Music of the Marijuana Growing Regions of Colombia. It was part of this outstanding series of Music documentaries called Beats of the Heart, which deserves a lavish DVD set that will probably never come to pass. Shanachie has put it out on DVD in what looks like a port of the VHS but it's well worth watching anyway.
A few remarks about accessing Colombian films in general:
Colombia has a fairly erratic history of filmmaking, but it is an interesting one. Sadly only a tiny smattering of its output from the 20th century is available in any form outside Colombia (and probably within it, as well, except to the tiny number of film scholars there who have documented their country's film history). And its a pretty unrepresentative sampling, too. Fortunately, I was able to see a few examples of daring avant-garde films and vivid, satirical documentaries after doing painstaking searches for things from a list of pre-1970s Colombian cinema that I compiled. I have reason to believe that very few people in Colombia, even film buffs, are at all familiar with or even interested in anything from the pre-FOCINE era. And in the rest of the world, few of these films were distributed even on VHS.
Anyone needing any information for their local library (or other institution) on purchasing unsubtitled Colombian films on tape from Colombia's Ministry of Culture can feel free to PM me. It's a fairly straightforward matter, and it would be nice to have this stuff held by more libraries.
There are also films by Colombian filmmakers that were filmed in other countries, such as Ilona llega con la lluvia. Conversely, you have works by foreign filmmakers that were shot in Colombia. One of the most widely seen fiction films in this category is Barbet Schroeder’s Our Lady of the Assassins, which was written by Colombian filmmaker and writer Fernando Vallejo. Paramount put this out on DVD with a good anamorphic transfer, although it's bare-bones, and they lose extra points for misspelling "Colombia" on the back cover! As for documentaries on Colombia, a personal favorite of mine is titled Shotguns and Accordions: Music of the Marijuana Growing Regions of Colombia. It was part of this outstanding series of Music documentaries called Beats of the Heart, which deserves a lavish DVD set that will probably never come to pass. Shanachie has put it out on DVD in what looks like a port of the VHS but it's well worth watching anyway.
A few remarks about accessing Colombian films in general:
Colombia has a fairly erratic history of filmmaking, but it is an interesting one. Sadly only a tiny smattering of its output from the 20th century is available in any form outside Colombia (and probably within it, as well, except to the tiny number of film scholars there who have documented their country's film history). And its a pretty unrepresentative sampling, too. Fortunately, I was able to see a few examples of daring avant-garde films and vivid, satirical documentaries after doing painstaking searches for things from a list of pre-1970s Colombian cinema that I compiled. I have reason to believe that very few people in Colombia, even film buffs, are at all familiar with or even interested in anything from the pre-FOCINE era. And in the rest of the world, few of these films were distributed even on VHS.
Anyone needing any information for their local library (or other institution) on purchasing unsubtitled Colombian films on tape from Colombia's Ministry of Culture can feel free to PM me. It's a fairly straightforward matter, and it would be nice to have this stuff held by more libraries.
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call_me_ishmael
- Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:29 am
Re: Colombian Films on DVD
Thanks for that, really helpful. I enjoyed Bolivar Soy Yo, thought the actual conceit of the film was wonderful, thougH at times it felt a bit unhinged! But I thought it was very effective satire (as long as you know anything about Latin American history!) I've seen Rorigo D, again I liked what the film was about but it was a very poor quality DVD that I saw.
I've got copies of Edipo and Our Lady of the Assassins, but cheers for the heads up.
I've got copies of Edipo and Our Lady of the Assassins, but cheers for the heads up.
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Juan Meyer
- Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 6:03 pm
Re: Colombian Films on DVD
If you speak Spanish, there is a somewhat legendary Colombian film called "Condores No Entierran Todos los Dias", which stars the great Mexican actress Isabela Corona. This film is from the Eighties, and at least a few years ago it was available on DVD in Colombia. One friend got it for me when she travelled there. I haven't gotten around to watching it though, but check it out.