LAS MALAS INTENCIONES/Cine Las Americas

Thank goodness I was able to get to a second film in this festival because it is a beauty.  As is the short MAR BLINDADO that preceded it.  LAS MALAS INTENCIONES is a beautifully shot film telling the journey of a lonely asthmatic girl with an extraordinary imagination.  Written and directed by Rosario Garcia-Montero whose film education comes from Peru/New York/ and Cuba (how could you go wrong?)  The young actor 9y.o. Fatima Buntinx is extraordinary as an unhappy  girl who uses her imagination to cope with her life (divorced and absentee parents, new baby on the way, strict parochial school teachers, and the civil war conflict of 1982 Peru). A pleasure to watch a girl find her heroes in Peru's past war heroes rather than her Barbie dolls.  This girl is an independent thinker and the filmmaker allows her to use her imagination without making it a horror film (credit to Abe for that thought). Beautiful cinematography (almost B/W, but not quite). This film is visually artistic as is the short MAR BLINDADO, out of Venezuela.  A futuristic fantasy that is compelling and had me at the edge of my seat.  Thank-you to Chale Nafus (AFS Program Director) for these recommendations.