William, el nuevo maestro del judo
Back in the 1950s, Swedish-American singer William Clauson had a worldwide hit with La Bamba. Now he lives in a ramshackle garage in Tijuana, Mexico. In William, the New Judo Master, directors Ricardo Silva and Omar Guzmán show how a Mexican nurse washes his naked old body. “How did we get here?”, a voice-over muses. “What road led us here? When did we take it?” This fascinating film essay is about the struggle against time, old age and transitoriness.
Silva’s debut film Navajazo (2014) was already a hybrid form of documentary and fiction, but here (with Guzmán) he goes further, producing a surrealist collage. For example, going on a trip to the oldest tree in the world. Or having a middle-aged actor play Clauson, while he is visited by three male prostitutes. Meanwhile, the devil looks on, eyes glowing red.
Film details
- Country of production
- Mexico
- Year
- 2016
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2017
- Length
- 96'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
