Even the Rain

A film about a crew shooting in Bolivia. A Spanish crew is making a film about Christopher Columbus and the beginning of colonisation. Why they chose Bolivia is plain: shooting is cheap there and the extras are paid little. Costa, the producer, explains this proudly on the phone. Daniel, chosen from the local people, plays an indigenous leader in the film. He is also one of the leading figures in the protest against the privatisation of the city's water. The city rises: the demonstrations grow, streets close and the police move in. The crew wants to finish the shoot, and the arrest of its lead could stop the film. The parallel is plain: the exploitation being narrated from five hundred years ago and what is happening behind the camera today are tied to the same structure. The crew does not see its own position while doing it. Costa's line is the best thing in the film. At the start he thinks only about the budget, and as the narrative goes on he arrives at a point of choice. Paul Laverty wrote the screenplay. Luis Tosar plays Costa, Gael García Bernal the director and Juan Carlos Aduviri plays Daniel. Icíar Bollaín directed. A strong production for anyone who likes political cinema and films about filmmaking. For a viewer expecting a neutral view, the film states its position openly.