A Separate Wind allowed me to end this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival on a high after the disappointment of Kyoto Elegy. It tells the story of Omar and Karina, two naive young teenagers from Mexico City who suddenly find they have to confront the reality of life in the rest of a country that they barely know and which has as much disdain for their sheltered ways as the siblings have discomfort to be away from home.
The pair are sent on this journey when their mother has a stroke on a beach holiday, some 500 miles or so away from home. Their father won't allow them at the hospital and instead tells them to pack up and make their way home to Mexico City alone, a journey that will expose them to violence, poverty and reality.
Through the eyes of Omar and Karina, the film takes us on a cross-country trip exploring race, class, violence and politics in contemporary Mexico. Having grown up in an isolated bubble, they have little knowledge of this world. Their self-centredness and arrogance alienates them from the people they meet, but these qualities also gradually erode as they are forced to grow up.
The two lead performances are remarkable for such young actors, naturalistic and nuanced with no false notes. And there is fantastic support from the various characters who take them on part of the journey, all making a deep impact in a short piece of screentime. It is also beautifully shot, giving the stunning Mexican landscape an eerie and alienating feel.
A Separate Wind is an excellent achievement, gripping and tense and also interesting and intelligent, held toghether by two very talented young actors, making for a road trip that is a real journey in every sense.
No comments:
Post a Comment