Directed by Arturo Duenas Herrero |
Reviewed by Samiksha Periwal
The word ‘Pessoas’ literally translates as ‘people’ in
English. This Spanish, narrative feature film starts with
the context behind the protagonist deciding to be a
photographer. It talks about how he would capture ‘people’
just in general, walking around the streets, without them
knowing at times and using this as a profession to earn
money. However, just while 
doing
his regular job one fine day he captures a beautiful face on
his camera that contributes a lot in giving him the fame
that he had achieved working as a professional photographer
for years. So, Arturo, the protagonist decides to find this
very face that looks at him every day from the wall of his
own house and come to know the girl whom he had captured
during the national parade of 1st May exactly ten
years ago. He decides to travel all the way to Santiago de
Cuba just after the death of Fidel Castro to find this
unknown woman all by himself. However, there is a twist in
the story here, when his only daughter Greta whom he had not
seen for days now decides to join him on his trip and search
for the woman. Things between the father and daughter become
a lot more interesting as the story moves forward from here,
unfolding the different layers of their relationship through
a common goal of finding an unknown face. But, will this
just be a search operation? Will it change the dynamics of
the father-daughter relationship? and will they be able to
actually find this familiarly unfamiliar face after so long?
That is for you to watch and explore later in this film.
The
central characters Arturo and Greta have portrayed the
relationship of a father and daughter living apart from each
other as a result of the separation of the husband and wife.
While Arturo seems to be reluctant of this fact and believes
that his bond with his daughter is just fine, she doesn’t
quite agree with this. She feels that her father has not
been able to give her enough time and has forgotten his
responsibilities towards her as he barely even calls to keep
a check on her. Therefore, their relationship seems a little
messed up as the story gradually progresses. This very
problem is very commonly seen most modern family setups
where children find it difficult to cope up with their
parent’s separation and more often feel left out by either
of the parent. This issue arises due to lack of
communication, which the writers have brought out clearly
through the script.
Yet
another theme that has been emphasized upon is the political
context of revolution and how freedom has impacted the lives
of the commoners in Cuba. It throws light on different
perspectives by different people belonging to the country,
while some feel great about their freedom, some feel that
the situation remains the same, where they’re trapped in a
place without basic amenities and a basic level of standard
of living for the common man. In this light, the film might
also be considered as a political satire targeting the
government for not being able to fulfill the needs of the
people even after years of experiencing independence and
freedom.
The
director and protagonist of this film Mr. Arturo has done a
great job in terms of storytelling and screenplay. He is a
qualified professional in the field of cinematography and
filmmaking, who has graduated from the New York Film Academy
and is currently an active member of the Academy of Arts and
Cinematographic Sciences of Spain. He has been awarded in
over thirty international film festivals for his work in
different fields of actor, director, editor, producer and
scriptwriter in several short as well as feature films.
While this film may seem a little too slow at the start, it takes off in the latter half when the story reveals several intriguing twists and turns making it an absolute delight to watch while the audiences also relate with the lives of the characters and their feelings throughout the narrative.
Samiksha
Periwal is an 18 year old student from Kolkata,
West Bengal. She is an enthusiast, eager to learn and
explore. She has done her schooling from Lakshmipat
Singhania Academy, Kolkata and is currently a student of
Christ University, Bangalore pursuing a triple major in BA
Psychology, Sociology and English. She is a passionate
writer and has won many laurels for her school through the
years.
