Toro negro

Fernando Pacheco, known as ‘El Negro’ or ‘El Suicida’, is a matador on the Yucatan peninsula (South Mexico), the hinterland of the tourist resorts on the Maya Rivièra. El Negro – more of a stuntman than toreador – doesn’t fight in the large arenas, but displays his talents in the poor districts where makeshift fences keep the skinny bulls in the makeshift arena. He is in his early twenties, has a relationship with the somewhat older Rosalia and boasts a large number of scars, both physical and psychological. González-Rubio and Armella make their documentary début by following their tragic hero in a personal, intimate way with their mini-DV camera. The result is an impressive portrait of an occasionally charming, but often blind drunk, aggressive and impulsive man. The film is not suitable for sensitive viewers, even though the makers don’t show everything they shot (as in the scene when El Suicida does justice to his name and faces a bull while drunk); they did not even shoot all they could have shot. The film makers are not particularly interested in pretty pictures or a clever narrative structure, but are – perforce – aware of their role in the rough situation of their protagonist. When the pregnant Rosalia asks the film makers to stop Fernando from beating her up (again), they face a dilemma: carry on filming or put the camera down and intervene? (GT)