For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Thanks for reading!
San
Francisco International Film Festival Breakdown - Northless
The Impression:
A "light-hearted" film about the "misadventures" of a
Oaxacan migrant trying to illegally jump ship on the sunny
shores of the US of A.
The Reality:
Exactly that, a shaky-cam, low-budget indie film about
Andres (Harold Torres) and his quirky attempts to sneak
across the US/Mexican border. I think most films in the
genre of "border crossing" focus on the awful experience
that is the actual crossing. You know, baked desert floors,
bleach human bones, and the crack shot of Johnny Law. Northside does
not. Instead it focuses on the relationships that bloom
between Cata (Sonia Couoh) and Ela (Alicia Laguna), denizens
of Tijuana, and their unlikely and chronic house guest.
After failing, time and time again, to make it across the
border, Andres begins to sink in to the lives of these
women. Romance and drinking occur, and instead of focusing
on how awful it must be to venture in to possible deadly
circumstances for the chance at a better opportunity,
Perezcano finds joy in the relationships that blossom
amongst lonely, disillusioned people.
It's a small, simple, beautiful movie.
The Lesson:
Not every story of border crossing needs to be full of dire
circumstances and defeated characters. Toss in a little
happiness, and a similar message can be gotten across.
Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The
Attic and a contributor at Sound On The Sound and
the KEXP blog. He also has his own
Criterion-based film site, Criterion Quest.
If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
- Noah Sanders
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