KatyR-55

Leva Lite (Live a Little) tells the tale of two women who travel to Warsaw, Prague, Berlin and Paris by train, intending to have a good time. One woman is outgoing, warm and charismatic, and is immediately friends with everyone, the other is a little more introverted. Laden with heavy back packs the two stay at AirB&Bs. One of the joys of the film is the unfolding of the intimacy between the women. But things things happen to upset their relationship and there is palpable tension throughout the film. In the credits the director acknowledges stories told to them about what can happen on these European holidays. Great performances from the women, excellent script and cinematography.

Not speaking Spanish and with limited knowledge of Flamenco music and dance I could only grasp some of the themes of this documentary. Nevertheless I enjoyed trying to solve the various puzzles...who the people were, why the name Tania came into the story so often, and what the significance of the various references to gypsies meant. As time passed a story emerged about the relationships among the family members, but I remained a little mystified about how they linked in with the music and the dancing. It was a bit like the film maker had only half-opened a door into their world. I think I could see that Yerai's guitar playing had moved on from traditional flamenco. A slice of life.