Quiero ser (I want to be...)

Colonia (2015) was a film I truly loved, and it always saddened me that it remained so underrated. I can't believe that this short film by director Florian Gallenberger, despite winning the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2001, is also so underrated. It may be short, but its impact will last a lifetime.

I don't know why the Germans went to Mexico to make such a film or where the idea originated, but even though the entire crew behind the camera is German, the film feels 100% Mexican. Except for the original score composed for the film, the music by Gert Wilden Jr. Has taken the film to a different level, probably along with the two lead actors who are not professional actors (Emilio Perez and Fernando Pena Cuevas).

This (not very) short film tells a story that doesn't seem worth an Academy Award at first sight, but if you take a second look and think about it, you learn that it is not a common story at all. Two young brothers in the streets of Mexico City, separating because of a terribly sad misunderstanding - and the consequences. During watching, I was not exactly bored but the whole story didn't seem very interesting to me. So, viewers: give the story a chance.

Twe two protagonists are very convincingly played by two talented guys. Cinematography, lighting, editing: everything is flawless though not outstanding. Maybe this is what a short story should be like: precise, clear, determined and original as regards its contents.

I guess, the film deserves the Academy Award.