Ocaña, retrat intermitent

This is not a movie in the conventional meaning of the word; like the title says ("Ocana, retrato intermitente" - "Ocaña, intermittent portrait") this is a portrait, but not only of the lead, Ocaña, homosexual painter from Andalucia but a time and a city (Barcelona, late 70's). Ventura Pons leaves complete freedom to Ocana to express himself, explain his hard life, his opinions of the world, etc. and mixing this with scenes of his life in the streets (walking half naked in a well-known street of Barcelona called La Rambla, singing a song in a bar full of people or organizing some kind of drag queen procession).

Of course, the film is interesting because Ocana himself is interesting, who explains to the camera the repression he suffered in his village for being gay, his first sexual experiences and the special relationship with a man who died suddenly, clearly the greatest love of his life. Behind Ocana's words and his special behavior lies a sensible an intelligent man, a wonderful man.

A highly recommendable documentary about a man, a time and the changes that took place in Spain after Franco's death.

Note: Ocana died tragically a few years later that this film was made when in a party his disguise suddenly burnt. A tragic end to a great life.

This is a highly recommendable documentary about Ocaña, a sevillan painter living in Barcelona. This may not be interesting by itself (how many painters are in the world?) but the ferocity, sincerity, bright and sensibility of Ocaña talking either about his childhood, his art or life itself makes this movie a shocking exposure of a bizarre, colonist Barcelona rigth after Franco's death. It's an explosion of both life and light, a celebration of joy and, somehow, an spiritual striptease of a soul willing to survive a world of mediocrity, all in a voyeur style, avoiding prejudices and letting the character speak by himself. This was the very first movie by Ventura Pons, who was 21 at the time. That makes you thing about his huge talent!

I recommend it to everyone!