Painter and director Enrique Collar returned for his film Novena to his village of birth in Paraguay. After having previously recorded Paraguayan city life in his feature debut, Collar now follows rural culture. With long shots and meticulous lighting that refers to painting, he records a way of life that is about to disappear.
The villagers play themselves or characters they know well in this docu-fiction. The protagonist is Juan (55), played by the director’s uncle. He’s a poet who cuts up car tyres to make drinking troughs for cattle. He barters them on the market for food. The harsh life in the countryside has hardened the gaze in his eyes.
Yet some men still have something to dream about. When they sell pigs, they imagine buying an airline ticket to Argentina or a pair of football boots. Juan is meanwhile in novena, nine days of prayer, because his mother has died. Before the novena is over, he will have to break out of his passive attitude.
Film details
- Countries of production
- Netherlands, Paraguay
- Year
- 2010
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2011
- Length
- 96'
- Medium/Format
- HDcam
