PSIFF: EVEN THE RAIN

A scene from Even the Rain.

Collective colonization

By John Esther

Director Sebastian (Gael Garcia Bernal), producer Costa (Luis Tosa) and their Spanish crew have just arrived in Cochamba, Bolivia to make a film about Columbus' arrival in the Americas during the late 15th century. An examination in racism, religious hypocrisy and resistance, the film within the film of director Iciar Bollain's Even the Rain takes an unflattering view of the Spanish crown's gold crush in the 16th century. 

While on location, the local "Indians," many of whom are involved with the film at significantly lower pay than their Spanish counterparts, are involved in a struggle with powerful forces (back by foreign corporations) over the local water supply. The locals have virtually no rights to the point they are prohibited from collecting the rain. 

If making an epic historical film were not daunting enough, the local struggle threatens the film, the filmmakers' safety and the filmmakers' ideas about what it means to make a film about historical oppression while contemporary oppression is surrounds you and what it means to make a film about an oppressed people of the past without oppressing people of today.

Written by oft-Ken Loach collaborator, Paul Laverty (Bread and Roses; Looking for Eric) Spain's Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film swirls on a wide range of levels and topics. The film about a film or films (someone is shooting a documentary on the making of the film) thoroughly analysis the limitations and possibilities about making films to address (adjust?) social injustices, whether they are past or present, and that film is never the same as reality, regardless of accuracy, yet this is being illustrated in a film.

Highly recommended.


(Even the Rain screens Jan. 7, 6 p.m., Palm Springs Regal 9; Jan. 08 10 a.m., Palm Springs Regal 9. For more information: http://www.psfilmfest.org)