ABOUT THE FILM
Main Idea/Topic:
Taking into account that poetry and literature are really important in this film I found really appropriate to explain the main idea of this film with a poem, which is a work of my own:
Scent of Jasmine
“Remembering Death”
How many times have we wondered ourselves,
how so fragile we are?
How many others have we occurred to account,
of how much we really are?
Facing life, we found ourselves insignificant,
when we realize that this world
would unsurprisingly follow
its flow of natural ways
without mattering if we are here or not.
Life is nothing and is short;
and the scent of jasmine
reminds us about it constantly.
Main Characters:
Pepe
Rosa
Jordi
Begoña Olabarría
Mikel
Doña Josefa
María
PERSONAL RESPONSES
Initial Responses:
This is a film about the gray stories in life; a film about the unpleasant things in life such as death, rejection, infidelity, submissiveness, repression, sickness and addiction.
Later Responses:
This is a film about how the old ways have to mix to the new ones, about how fragile life is, and how we should take advantage in push it to the limits; Carpe Diem, live every day as if it was your last. It is about life dramatic changes and about the ironies that come with it such as a father that is machista and his homosexual son. About the importance of tolerance an understanding, the importance to accept people’s ways, and them accepting ours. It is a movie about moral integrity and repressiveness. It is also a movie about how we finally are a reflection of our closest loved ones, and how they keep living after their deaths in us.
Who is the writer on the film? / Has the screenplay been adapted from another work?
Claudio Crespo
The screenplay is adapted from a short tale called Por Primera Vez (For the First Time), and has inserts and references to other works also such as the poem of Antonio Machado called Sueño (Dream), and the reiterative citation of Stanley Kubrick’s A clockwork Orange by Jordi.
Background on the director:
Antonio Cuadri studied audiovisual communication at the University of Madrid. He produced his first documentary, Canal Sur, before becoming in charge of Lo + Plus and Las Noticias del Guiñol, a satire magazine and program on Canal + in Spain. He also developed the children's program Al Salir de Clase, which aired for seven seasons. He directed La Gran Vida (starring Salma Hayek), Eres Mi Héroe and, most recently, La Buena Voz.
(www.miamifilmfestival.com)
When was the film made? / What is/was the social and political climate like at the time in that country and the world?
Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes Generales or National Assembly. Spain is, at present, what is called a State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a Federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems, others do not) and laws. There are some differences within this system, since power has been devolved from the centre to the periphery asymmetrically, with some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) seeking a more federalist—or even confederate—kind of relationship with Spain, now the Central Government is dealing with autonomous governments for the transfer of more autonomy. This novel system of asymmetrical devolution has been described as a coconstitutionalism and has similarities to the devolution process adopted by the United Kingdom since 1997. The terrorist group, ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom), is attempting to achieve Basque independence through violent means, including bombings and killings of politicians, police and militaries. They consider themselves a guerrilla organization. Although the Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the federal and Basque governments. The Spanish Constitution of 1978, in its second article, recognizes historic entities ("nationalities," a carefully chosen word in order to avoid "nations") and regions, inside the unity of the Spanish nation. But Spain's identity is sometimes, in fact, an overlap of different regional identities, some of them even conflicting. Castile is considered by many to be the "core" of Spain. However, this may just be a reflection of the fact that the Castilian national identity was the first one to be quashed by the Spanish Empire in the revolt of the Communards (comuneros) in 1518-1520. The opposite is the case of a large part of Catalans, Basques and, in some measure, Galicians, who quite frequently identify primarily with Galicia, Catalonia and the Basque Country first, with Spain only second, or even third, after Europe. The situation is even more confusing, since there are regions with ambiguous identities, like Navarre, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, etc. There has been a lot of internal migration (rural exodus) from regions like Galicia, Andalusia and Extremadura to Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country and the islands. (www.wikipedia.com)
What does the title mean in relation with the film as a whole?
Try to establish a connection –sometimes clear, sometimes metaphorical.
The title in relation with the movie as a whole is a reference to the fragility of life, a reference to how death always comes to us. This reference we have to make we have to make in relation with Antonio Machado’s poem Sueño (Dream), which is said three times throughout the movie, just before or after someone dies. The poem is the following:
SueñoDesde el umbral de un sueño me llamaron...Era la buena voz, la voz querida. -Dime: ¿vendrás conmigo a ver el alma?...Llegó a mi corazón una caricia. -Contigo siempre... Y avancé en mi sueñopor una larga, escueta galería,sintiendo el roce de la veste puray el palpitar suave de la mano amiga.Dream From the threshold of a dream I was called…It was the good voice, the beloved voice. -Tell me: will you come with me to se the soul? …A caress arrived to my heart. -With you always… I advanced in my dreamthru a long, concise gallery,feeling the graze or the pure manteland the soft beat of the friendly hand. This is a poem about the good voice that calls us just before we die or are born, the good voice of the angels, the good voice of the grim, and the good voice of god.
Describe how the opening credits are presented? / How do they relate to meaning?
In a black background the title of the film appears and disappears in white letters like if it was inside fog. Meanwhile the initial shots of the movie are developing; the credits are little by little, being presented in white letters in the lower section of the screen. Then while a sequence with Flamenco music of Pepe’s daily life as a taxi driver, the remaining credits are presented in the same way than before. The credits relate with the movie as a whole in seeing that being a taxi driver could be an allegory to the conception of life that is presented in this movie; that is, that we are in so many places and we don’t notice and that we cross with so many people and we don’t notice because we are not aware of living life at its maximum capacity, but to rush thru it without thinking, in other words, life is so short not to be aware of the fact that we should go through our lives and not instead, letting our lives get through us.
What three or four sequences are most important in the film? / Why?
The scene in which Rosa is telling Pepe that she remembers when he was young and strong, and by that time she was interned in the hospital for her first abortion, and how terrible it was, and that in that time she felt more empty than any other time in her life. This scene is important because is talking about how Rosa is, she is a frustrated woman submissive to his husband who did not actually loved her, and that never gave her a son to fill the immense emptiness that occupies her life. It is a scene that is shocking because it show one of the greatest pains in life, that of a mother that loose in an abortion a child that represented the only chance of feeling loved and happy. A scene that talks about the emptiness of a soul.
The scene in which after the death of Doña Josefa’s, her daughter tells Rosa to take any of her mother’s belongings so that she could remember her by. Because Doña Josefa was like a mother to Rosa. This scene is important because it talks about how people like to torture themselves by holding onto a lost one, holding onto the past. I can say by experience that this is the wrong way of doing thing because if u hold on to it you will never be able to get over it, the best is to let things go and remember the great and happy moments that we got to spent that loved one that is physically gone, a say physically because that person will always be alive in us, because things we learned from them.
The scene in which Rosa goes to the church even though she is not religious and speaks to San Antonio, telling him that she and Pepe are scared because of Pepe’s bad heart condition. She tells San Antonio that if Pepe dies it would be better if she died too, so that they both could go together. This scene is important because it talks about coward people that don’t feel capable of living life without being dependent from someone, it is also important because it talks about one of the most unpleasant emotions in life: the fear of being totally alone.
The scene in which Jordi and Pepe met, an the son reveals to his just known father that he is HIV positive and that he is homosexual and Pepe is shocked by this, I thought he was going to have another heart attack with this news, fortunately he did not. This scene is important because it talks about rejection; it talks about how the old ways and ideologies clash in an abrupt way with the new ones, and how both sides reject one another. It is more than a macho father homosexual son scene, a scene that metaphorically talks about political and social digressions.
What were your expectations from your knowledge of that country’s cinema or director’s work? / Where they confirmed or disappointed? Explain.
I had really good expectations about Spanish cinema, even though I knew I would see several themes that are one and again used, like homosexuality, the role of a masculine man and marginality, the theme of drugs was absent. My expectations about this film were confirmed I liked it very much since it had literature references and interpretation of these things.
In your opinion, what was the aim/purpose of this film? Be specific.
To present a naturalistic vision of how we should know how to guide love of any kind and how we should know how to take the reins of our lives against the difficulties and obstacles that appear, is a movie that tries to teach us how to deal with the most unpleasant sensations, emotions and feelings in life.
Give at least five examples from the film (besides the language) which signal it’s being labeled a film from _____________________ (country).
Direct contact with the vicissitudes and redefinitions of Spanish society
Imprisoning mechanisms of social control
Mechanism of dialogue and perspectivism
Complexities of a masculine role
Human relations between the sexes
Theme of desire
Reflexions on identity
How does the film try to make its case? (e.g. by emotional appeal, alienation, manipulation of point of view, documentary authority, symbolism, etc.) Give examples. / Is it persuasive?
This movie tries to make its case thru symbolism and emotional appeal. There are many symbols in this film such as the fact that Rosa does not believes in church but she pray to San Antonio, because he is like part of the family, especially this saint that has the same name of Machado which is the author of the poem that talks about the vision of death in this film. Also that the movie takes place in Bilbao which is a city that is changing from an old city to a more vanguard city, which we can relate with Pepe that represents the old ways and Jordi the upcoming ways; or the ritual of lighting a candle to the dead people. Also uses emotional appeal since we empathize with Rosa as the poor house wife, with Pepe as the sarcastic humorous male, and Jordi as the rejected character because of his different ways, but more than that we identify with them or take their sides, because we feel pity for them.
Main Idea/Topic:
Taking into account that poetry and literature are really important in this film I found really appropriate to explain the main idea of this film with a poem, which is a work of my own:
Scent of Jasmine
“Remembering Death”
How many times have we wondered ourselves,
how so fragile we are?
How many others have we occurred to account,
of how much we really are?
Facing life, we found ourselves insignificant,
when we realize that this world
would unsurprisingly follow
its flow of natural ways
without mattering if we are here or not.
Life is nothing and is short;
and the scent of jasmine
reminds us about it constantly.
Main Characters:
Pepe
Rosa
Jordi
Begoña Olabarría
Mikel
Doña Josefa
María
PERSONAL RESPONSES
Initial Responses:
This is a film about the gray stories in life; a film about the unpleasant things in life such as death, rejection, infidelity, submissiveness, repression, sickness and addiction.
Later Responses:
This is a film about how the old ways have to mix to the new ones, about how fragile life is, and how we should take advantage in push it to the limits; Carpe Diem, live every day as if it was your last. It is about life dramatic changes and about the ironies that come with it such as a father that is machista and his homosexual son. About the importance of tolerance an understanding, the importance to accept people’s ways, and them accepting ours. It is a movie about moral integrity and repressiveness. It is also a movie about how we finally are a reflection of our closest loved ones, and how they keep living after their deaths in us.
Who is the writer on the film? / Has the screenplay been adapted from another work?
Claudio Crespo
The screenplay is adapted from a short tale called Por Primera Vez (For the First Time), and has inserts and references to other works also such as the poem of Antonio Machado called Sueño (Dream), and the reiterative citation of Stanley Kubrick’s A clockwork Orange by Jordi.
Background on the director:
Antonio Cuadri studied audiovisual communication at the University of Madrid. He produced his first documentary, Canal Sur, before becoming in charge of Lo + Plus and Las Noticias del Guiñol, a satire magazine and program on Canal + in Spain. He also developed the children's program Al Salir de Clase, which aired for seven seasons. He directed La Gran Vida (starring Salma Hayek), Eres Mi Héroe and, most recently, La Buena Voz.
(www.miamifilmfestival.com)
When was the film made? / What is/was the social and political climate like at the time in that country and the world?
Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes Generales or National Assembly. Spain is, at present, what is called a State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a Federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems, others do not) and laws. There are some differences within this system, since power has been devolved from the centre to the periphery asymmetrically, with some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) seeking a more federalist—or even confederate—kind of relationship with Spain, now the Central Government is dealing with autonomous governments for the transfer of more autonomy. This novel system of asymmetrical devolution has been described as a coconstitutionalism and has similarities to the devolution process adopted by the United Kingdom since 1997. The terrorist group, ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom), is attempting to achieve Basque independence through violent means, including bombings and killings of politicians, police and militaries. They consider themselves a guerrilla organization. Although the Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the federal and Basque governments. The Spanish Constitution of 1978, in its second article, recognizes historic entities ("nationalities," a carefully chosen word in order to avoid "nations") and regions, inside the unity of the Spanish nation. But Spain's identity is sometimes, in fact, an overlap of different regional identities, some of them even conflicting. Castile is considered by many to be the "core" of Spain. However, this may just be a reflection of the fact that the Castilian national identity was the first one to be quashed by the Spanish Empire in the revolt of the Communards (comuneros) in 1518-1520. The opposite is the case of a large part of Catalans, Basques and, in some measure, Galicians, who quite frequently identify primarily with Galicia, Catalonia and the Basque Country first, with Spain only second, or even third, after Europe. The situation is even more confusing, since there are regions with ambiguous identities, like Navarre, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, etc. There has been a lot of internal migration (rural exodus) from regions like Galicia, Andalusia and Extremadura to Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country and the islands. (www.wikipedia.com)
What does the title mean in relation with the film as a whole?
Try to establish a connection –sometimes clear, sometimes metaphorical.
The title in relation with the movie as a whole is a reference to the fragility of life, a reference to how death always comes to us. This reference we have to make we have to make in relation with Antonio Machado’s poem Sueño (Dream), which is said three times throughout the movie, just before or after someone dies. The poem is the following:
SueñoDesde el umbral de un sueño me llamaron...Era la buena voz, la voz querida. -Dime: ¿vendrás conmigo a ver el alma?...Llegó a mi corazón una caricia. -Contigo siempre... Y avancé en mi sueñopor una larga, escueta galería,sintiendo el roce de la veste puray el palpitar suave de la mano amiga.Dream From the threshold of a dream I was called…It was the good voice, the beloved voice. -Tell me: will you come with me to se the soul? …A caress arrived to my heart. -With you always… I advanced in my dreamthru a long, concise gallery,feeling the graze or the pure manteland the soft beat of the friendly hand. This is a poem about the good voice that calls us just before we die or are born, the good voice of the angels, the good voice of the grim, and the good voice of god.
Describe how the opening credits are presented? / How do they relate to meaning?
In a black background the title of the film appears and disappears in white letters like if it was inside fog. Meanwhile the initial shots of the movie are developing; the credits are little by little, being presented in white letters in the lower section of the screen. Then while a sequence with Flamenco music of Pepe’s daily life as a taxi driver, the remaining credits are presented in the same way than before. The credits relate with the movie as a whole in seeing that being a taxi driver could be an allegory to the conception of life that is presented in this movie; that is, that we are in so many places and we don’t notice and that we cross with so many people and we don’t notice because we are not aware of living life at its maximum capacity, but to rush thru it without thinking, in other words, life is so short not to be aware of the fact that we should go through our lives and not instead, letting our lives get through us.
What three or four sequences are most important in the film? / Why?
The scene in which Rosa is telling Pepe that she remembers when he was young and strong, and by that time she was interned in the hospital for her first abortion, and how terrible it was, and that in that time she felt more empty than any other time in her life. This scene is important because is talking about how Rosa is, she is a frustrated woman submissive to his husband who did not actually loved her, and that never gave her a son to fill the immense emptiness that occupies her life. It is a scene that is shocking because it show one of the greatest pains in life, that of a mother that loose in an abortion a child that represented the only chance of feeling loved and happy. A scene that talks about the emptiness of a soul.
The scene in which after the death of Doña Josefa’s, her daughter tells Rosa to take any of her mother’s belongings so that she could remember her by. Because Doña Josefa was like a mother to Rosa. This scene is important because it talks about how people like to torture themselves by holding onto a lost one, holding onto the past. I can say by experience that this is the wrong way of doing thing because if u hold on to it you will never be able to get over it, the best is to let things go and remember the great and happy moments that we got to spent that loved one that is physically gone, a say physically because that person will always be alive in us, because things we learned from them.
The scene in which Rosa goes to the church even though she is not religious and speaks to San Antonio, telling him that she and Pepe are scared because of Pepe’s bad heart condition. She tells San Antonio that if Pepe dies it would be better if she died too, so that they both could go together. This scene is important because it talks about coward people that don’t feel capable of living life without being dependent from someone, it is also important because it talks about one of the most unpleasant emotions in life: the fear of being totally alone.
The scene in which Jordi and Pepe met, an the son reveals to his just known father that he is HIV positive and that he is homosexual and Pepe is shocked by this, I thought he was going to have another heart attack with this news, fortunately he did not. This scene is important because it talks about rejection; it talks about how the old ways and ideologies clash in an abrupt way with the new ones, and how both sides reject one another. It is more than a macho father homosexual son scene, a scene that metaphorically talks about political and social digressions.
What were your expectations from your knowledge of that country’s cinema or director’s work? / Where they confirmed or disappointed? Explain.
I had really good expectations about Spanish cinema, even though I knew I would see several themes that are one and again used, like homosexuality, the role of a masculine man and marginality, the theme of drugs was absent. My expectations about this film were confirmed I liked it very much since it had literature references and interpretation of these things.
In your opinion, what was the aim/purpose of this film? Be specific.
To present a naturalistic vision of how we should know how to guide love of any kind and how we should know how to take the reins of our lives against the difficulties and obstacles that appear, is a movie that tries to teach us how to deal with the most unpleasant sensations, emotions and feelings in life.
Give at least five examples from the film (besides the language) which signal it’s being labeled a film from _____________________ (country).
Direct contact with the vicissitudes and redefinitions of Spanish society
Imprisoning mechanisms of social control
Mechanism of dialogue and perspectivism
Complexities of a masculine role
Human relations between the sexes
Theme of desire
Reflexions on identity
How does the film try to make its case? (e.g. by emotional appeal, alienation, manipulation of point of view, documentary authority, symbolism, etc.) Give examples. / Is it persuasive?
This movie tries to make its case thru symbolism and emotional appeal. There are many symbols in this film such as the fact that Rosa does not believes in church but she pray to San Antonio, because he is like part of the family, especially this saint that has the same name of Machado which is the author of the poem that talks about the vision of death in this film. Also that the movie takes place in Bilbao which is a city that is changing from an old city to a more vanguard city, which we can relate with Pepe that represents the old ways and Jordi the upcoming ways; or the ritual of lighting a candle to the dead people. Also uses emotional appeal since we empathize with Rosa as the poor house wife, with Pepe as the sarcastic humorous male, and Jordi as the rejected character because of his different ways, but more than that we identify with them or take their sides, because we feel pity for them.
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