Und dann der Regen - También la lluvia

I really enjoyed the film "Even in the Rain" because the movie had two stories going side by side. It was like a movie inside a movie, which was one thing that I really enjoyed about the movie. Overall the movie was very easy to understand. There might have been one scene that was not that clear to me but I got the general idea of it anyways so it was not really a big problem. If this was an American film the problem would have been solved in the movie, so it different from American films. To my understanding the problem was not resolved in this film. This film taught me how people in other parts of the world are living today and that people do not have the things that we take for granted all time. Also this film sort of taught us about the past which I taught was very interesting. It showed us how the British were treating the Natives. If was the director of this film I would have made it so at the end of the film everyone had water.

EVEN THE RAIN (También la lluvia) is a brilliant metaphor of a story written by Paul Laverty based on an actual event and directed with considerable skill by Icíar Bollaín, the great Spanish actress, writer and director. This film is one of those rare 'docudramas' that bring to light historical 'secrets' that beg to be shared. In 2000 an American water company bought the water supply from the Bolivian government and the citizens of Bolivia were banned from collecting rainwater which had become corporate property. This resulted in a violent protest against the government by the indigenous Indians and the citizenry of Cochambamba, Bolivia who claimed their rights to the natural gifts of nature - even the rain. Laverty and Bollaín expose this injustice through a well-conceived story within a story.

Spanish film director Sebastián (Gael García Bernal), his cynical producer Costa (Luis Tosar), and crew including Antón (Karra Elejalde) have come to Cochabamba, Bolivia to shoot their film about Christopher Columbus (played by actor Antón - Karra Elejalde) and his first explorations, revealing the way the Spaniards treated the native Indians: Costa has chosen the place because he can get cheap labor in using local actors and extras to keep within the small budget of the film. Sebastián is the compassionate one who wants the Indians treated well, hiring a mouthy young Indian named Hatuey/Daniel (Juan Carlos Aduviri) when he claims he and his family are being unjustly overlooked as actor candidates. The filming goes well, with the exception of some minor glitches for particular scenes the Indians find too dangerous, until a conflict develops over the governmental privatization of the water supply. Daniel becomes an activist against the government who plan a 300% increase in price of water - the average daily income for the Indians is $2. a day! - and the conditions in the city become unfriendly for the film to continue. Bloody violence and chaos breakout and many citizens are being killed or jailed. It is at this point that the caring Sebastián finally decides that he and his crew must flee, and with some role reversal, Costa stays behind to protect Daniel's family.

According to Bollaín, 'It was the gold 500 years ago, and now it's the water, which is the gold of the 21st century. Before it was the Crown of Spain and the pope who approved the conquest. Now it is the new theologians, the IMF and the World Bank. Again it's the word from above, saying, 'This is right.' The Spanish filmmakers in the film-within-a-film are caught in the middle. They have the attitude of neo-conquerors - they go there because it's cheap. But they're also trying to make a film that casts a different look on the conquest. And it's an adventure.'

Iciar Bollaín directs this epic film with great dignity and with a keen observation of how history, even inadvertently, repeats itself. The cinematography by Alex Catalán and the musical score by Alberto Iglesias add immeasurably to the film's success. The cast of extras is exceptional and very well directed. Both Gael García Bernal and Luis Tosar deliver intensely considered performances as does Juan Carlos Aduviri as the key central figure Daniel. Hopefully this film, nominated for Best Foreign Film in the 2010 Academy Awards. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Grady Harp

As a director named Sebastian (Gael Garcia Bernal)and his crew formed by his executive producer named Costa (Luis Tosar) and actors realize a controversial film about Christopher Columbus (Karra Elejalde) Bartolome De Las Casas (Raul Arevalo) , Montesinos (Carlos Santos) in Cochabamba , Bolivia, local people rise up against schemes to privatize the water supply . Spain Conquered the New World for Gold 500 Years Later, Water is Gold Not Much Else has Changed. Costa has chosen this place because the budget of the film is tight and extras are cheap , as he hires a rebel native (Iduviri) . The only thing that matters to him is his professional pride as a producer that the film is made on time and within budget.

This is an interesting and thought-provoking film dealing with actual and past deeds as the first explorations and the way the Spaniards treated the Indians at the time, the Cochabamba revolts , being well interwoven by screenwriter Paul Laverty and director . Top-notch main cast such as Gael Garcia Bernal as a good , idealist filmmaker and Luis Tosar as a selfish producer who wishes hire supernumeraries, local actors and extras on the cheap . Very good cinematography by Alex Catalan . Emotive and sensitive musical score by Alberto Iglesias .

The real events in which this brooding movie are based result to be the following : The Cochabamba protests of 2000, also known as the "Cochabamba Water Wars", were a series of protests that took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city, between January 1999 and April 2000 in response to multinational participation in the infrastructure and management of the city's municipal water supply. Demonstrations erupted when Aguas del Tunari imposed a large rate increase, reportedly to finance a Dam project, a week after taking control of the Cochabamba water supply system. In a country where the minimum wage was less than US$70 per month, many dwellers were hit with monthly water bills of $20 or more. Starting in early January 2000 massive protests in Cochabamba began with Oscar Olivera among the most outspoken leaders against the rate hikes and subsequent water cut-offs. The demonstrators consisted of peasant Irrigators who entered the city either under village banners, or carrying the Wiphala; they were joined by retired . Young men began to try to take over the plaza and a barricade across incoming roadways was set up. Soon they were joined by pieceworkers, sweatshop employees, and street vendors . Anarchists from the middle-classes came from the University of Cochabamba to denounce the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and neoliberalism. The strongest supporters of the demonstration were drawn from the city's growing population of homeless street children .Protesters were able to halt Cochabamba's economy by holding a general strike that shut down the city for four straight days. A ministerial delegation went to Cochabamba and agreed to roll back the water rates; still the demonstration continued.On February 4, 2000, thousands marching in protest were met by troops and law enforcement . Almost 200 demonstrators were arrested; 70 protesters and 51 policemen were injured.Throughout March 2000 the Bolivian hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church tried to mediate between the government and the demonstrators. In the meantime, the Coordinadora made their own referendum and declared that out of fifty thousand votes, 96% demanded the contract with Aguas del Tunari be cancelled. The government's reply under Hugo Banzer was that "There is nothing to negotiate.In April 2000, demonstrators again took over Cochabamba's central plaza. When the leaders of the Coordinadora went to a meeting with the governor at his office they were arrested. Though they were released the following day, some, fearing further government action, fled into hiding. More demonstration leaders were arrested, with some being transferred to a jungle prison in San Joaquin, a remote town in the Amazon rain forest on the border with Brazil. The demonstrations spread quickly to other areas including La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí as well as rural areas. The protesters also expanded their demands calling on the government to resolve unemployment and other economic problems.Soon demonstrators had most of the major highways in Bolivia barricaded. The protest even inspired officers in four La Paz police units to refuse to leave their barracks or obey superiors until a wage dispute was settled.

The motion picture is originally directed by Iciar Bollain . She has worked as a leading actress in selected films like The South (1983) by 'Victor Erice', Malaventura (1988) by 'Manuel Gutiérrez Aragon , Land and Freedom (1995) by Ken Loach, it became an acclaimed audience's and critics' choice ; Leo (2000) by 'Jose Luis Borau' that won the Best Actress nomination Goya Spanish Academy Awards and Nos Miran (2002) . She is a prestigious producer , writing and directing since then both documentaries and fiction films. In 1995, she wrote and directed her feature film debut, ¨Hola, ¿estás Sola?¨ (1995), awarded with Best New Director in Valladolid Festival and was nominated for Best Directorial Debut by the Spanish Film Academy. The film became one of Spain's 1996 box office hits. Flowers from another world(1999), was her second feature film and was awarded at Cannes Film Festival 1999, Best Film in the International Critics' Week ; ¨Take my eyes, 2003¨, was her following film as writer and director, winner of 7 Goyas Spanish Academy Awards, including Best Film, among many other international awards. Her next feature film is ¨Mataharis (2007)¨ and is filming ¨Katmandu¨.

EVEN THE RAIN, directed by Icíar Bollaín, is a compelling film which attempts to explore the history of global economics using a kind of cinematic metaphor. Bollain's film focuses on a multinational movie crew that travels to Bolivia to make a film about Christopher Columbus, and examines his agenda of religious, cultural, and monetary exploitation of The New World. The production company hits a snag when locally violent demonstrations breakout against corporate ownership of indigenous water rights, and threaten to make the completion of the film impossible. The movie shows that the issues of wealth, ownership, and power are just as contentious today as they were five hundred years ago. Corporate giants of our era employ the same greedy strategy in an attempt to steal wealth, power, and access from the uninformed and defenseless. Although the ethical issues in the film are sometimes presented in a slightly heavy-handed manner, by the end of the feature, it is evident that the application of rapacious economic policy hasn't changed much since monarchs ruled the world.

It would not be surprising if some day a film school professor chose 'También la lluvia' to illustrate a course about committed pictures, for this Spanish-Mexican co-production is indeed a model of its kind.

Intelligently written by Paul Laverty (Ken Loach's regular collaborator since 1996) and competently helmed by Icíar Bollaín (a Spanish actress turned director and, incidentally, Laverty's life companion), 'También la lluvia' examines a social and political event that took place in Bolivia in 2000, the Water War, when an American Water Company tried to privatize the drinking water service in the town of Corachamba, implying a tariff raise in an order from 40% to 300%.

To tell his story, the writer could have adopted the committed filmmaker's standard approach: «display of injustice/negative impact on the group concerned/reaction of the most militant/confrontation/resolution of the conflict». Instead, he imagined the coming of a film crew shooting a movie in the surroundings of Carachambo, getting involved gradually– and against their will - in the troubles affecting Corachamba. So do the viewers, who identify with them without having the feeling they are being manipulated by the authors.

Such a concept also gives 'También la lluvia' added value, making it function on several levels. It enables Laverty to: - inform his audiences about a little known historical event - unveil a hidden chapter of history (through the subject of the film shot within the film: the first opponents to the Conquistadores, Jesuits Bartolomé de las Casas and Antonio de Montesinos) - have the two stories echo each other and enrich each other - cast a spotlight on Bolivia, a neglected country, and on its Indian population - depict complex characters (the more idealistic ones shying away from direct action when confronted to danger while the more reactionary display unexpected bravery)

Helped by Iciar Bollain's sure-handed direction and by the excellence of the cast (Gabriel Garcia Bernal as Sébastián, the tormented director ; Luis Tosar as the cynical producer ; Karra Elejalde, impressive as the provocative star of the film in progress ; and - the revelation of the film, - the amazing Juan Carlos Aduviri, who inhabits his role as the Indian actor/activist Daniel), Paul Laverty manages to teach, move and entertain, while avoiding dogmatism, bias and over-simplification. Just what he is accused of by the flock of bleating French film critics.