Short Cuts Programme 5 – The films in this programmer feature individuals who crave acceptance, others who find the courage to defy society’s strictures and be who they need to be.
El Adiós
Dir. Clara Roquet
A Bolivian maid who’s long served a wealthy Spanish family, Rosana (Jenny Rios) is too busy with funeral preparations to grieve the newly departed matriarch. But amid all the events of the day are subtler suggestions of Rosana’s possible liberation.
A funeral is a time to say goodbye to loved ones; a time for family members to come together. It is during this difficult and bittersweet time that Rosana is expected to be pragmatic and efficient. Unable to grieve for her employer, and receiving next to no validation from the rest of the family, Rosana decides to finally take a stand.
Quiet yet strong performances from Rios and the rest of the cast, make El Adiós a solid film.
Rating 3 / 5
She Stoops To Conquer
Dir. Zack Russell
An aspiring performer struggles to breathe life into a new character she’s created. Suddenly, she sees him: the real-life version of the man she’s been playing.
Comedian Kayla Lorette works alongside the always memorable Julian Richings in what director Zack Russell cheekily calls a “romcom”. This gender-bending film about a man and her double, and the almost instant attraction they feel for one another. The film also shows how a performer cannot always perform as him/herself; be it because of self consciousness or something else.
She Stoops to Conquer boasts excellent performances by Lorette and Richings. As well as, very good make-up work. This film is certainly curious and somewhat odd but it makes sense given its context.
–Rating 3.5 / 5
Screens
SUN SEP 13 7:00pm at Scotiabank Theatre Scotiabank 10
SAT SEP 19 12:45pm at Scotiabank Theatre Scotiabank 11
