A Terra e a Sombra

Beautifully shot, full of long contemplative takes, this story of the hardship of a family who work for a sugar-cane farm in rural Columbia has many powerful moments, and much righteous anger at what the large farm does both to the local ecology and to the underpaid (or NOT paid) workers. And it only grew on 2nd viewing when I went into it prepared for it's slow pace and understated and quiet emotionality.

An old man (Alonso) returns to his family after living as an outcast, to help care for his grandson while his wife and daughter in law struggle in the cane fields to make a living, and while his son lies deathly ill from the endless pollution from the burning fields. While the images and ideas are strong, and some of the performances shockingly good from Acevedo's cast of non-professionals, the basic family drama at the heart of the story can occasionally feel a little under-cooked. At times conflicts are easy to get ahead of.

When the film relies on images to tell the story – like the snowstorms of ash that envelope the family home and the characters – it's shockingly effective. When things are talked about at length, it's more hit or miss. There are wonderful human scenes and others that can feel a bit on the nose, a bit expositional. The strength and the mild weakness of the film was captured by the brilliant, several minute long opening shot. As Alonso walks down a gravel road towards us, a truck slowly bears down on him in the distance. When the truck actually passes, the old man is all buy lost in the cloud of gray dust it kicks up, It's a great image that tells a whole story at once. The problem is it's one of the best images in the film, and sums up all the themes to come so brilliantly, that in a weird way entire film that follows feels – thematically at the least - like an epilogue. That sounds far harsher than it could be taken. The film is full of worthwhile moments and characters that evolve. But if feels frustratingly close to greatness, without quite getting there.

Land and Shade is a Columbian film that is extremely slow and was very difficult for me to finish. The actors all showed little in the way of energy or emotion and the direction was very slow and deliberate. Some might like this and see it as artsy and realistic… others, like me, just wanted an infusion of energy and found it all quite dull. The lack of music and somber tone of the film is quite jarring. It's a shame, as the story of some poor sugar cane workers is worth telling.

When the film begins, Alfonso returns home after disappearing for seventeen years! Naturally, his wife is less than thrilled to see him but his sick son and his family embrace the wayward father and he sticks around instead of just coming and going. Much of the time, he stays home and takes care of the house, his sick son and his grandson while he wife and daughter-in-law break their backs working in the sugar cane fields. This work is tough, pay is infrequent and the constant burning of the sugar cane (to remove the leaves and ready the stalks for harvest) fills the air with ash…and is the reason for the son's lung disease. Alfonso tries to get the family to leave their hellish lives…but they are determined to just stick it out and continue with their bleak lives.

To me, the film was just glacially slow and the only way I could have watched it in one sitting was if I'd been rigged up like Malcolm McDowell was in A Clockwork Orange….you know, with the eyelids pried open and strapped into a chair facing the screen. In films like this there is a balancing act between extreme realism and watchability… and I wish they'd focused a bit more on making the picture watchable. The folks' lives were dull an oppressive…and I just tired of this sense of bleakness and stagnation. And, I got tired of seeing the characters all staring off into space. Watch it if you want, but for me it was an experience I don't want to repeat. I do know the film played at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival… where it actually won some awards. This is a clear case where a film is applauded by some and incomprehensible to the rest of us.

Not everybody's pick of the year. Everybody does not know this film even exist. This is the director's ambitious project, to depict on the screen the world he had come from. So it is much an awareness film about struggling rural society. Usually critics favour this kind of film. But not to be watched for the entertainment purpose. Surely you will be bored to death. This is a challenging film to watch that tests your patience. Even I had a slight trouble finish watching it, but at the end I'm satisfied for it is what it is.

Average film's runtime, so if you have been focused since the beginning, particularly without any interference, then that's good. You will get the characters and their condition, which is most important in this film. There's no complication to understand it. It is a simple story, but very realistic portrayal like a documentary film without any background commentary. Centres on the falling rural economy and how people are coping with it. I think this is a very essential film for todays people from big cities to understand the situation of the other side of the human civilisation.

The film does not focus on entire village, but follows a small family. It is a place where they all depended on the sugar cane that grown in the field. And it is about a harvest season, everybody's working hard, but not paid enough for their effort. A man who had left the place and family behind a long ago returns. The purpose of the visit is his son who is very sick. So from his perspective the film reveals why he had left the place and the trouble the villagers facing, economically as well as environmentally.

❝I couldn't stay here and see all of this disappear before my very eyes.❞

The message was loud and clear. The film does not simply shows sympathy, but falling apart countryside due to multiple issues including poverty and pollution. There's no separately layered narration to highlight them, but the family this story is based on revolves around most of those matters. I would say, it was a good writing, keeping in order and going after big topic. The director did a wonderful job. I would also say watching a film like this is definitely not a waste of time. But how far it reaches and people come to realise will be a big question. Because such small films are easily ignored globally.

When we discuss about harming the environment, it is always cities and industries are blamed. But the truth is every corner of the earth where humans have settled down is causing the disruption in the order of nature. This film is one of the good examples of getting rid of cliché in such theme and trying to be honest. The amount of disturbance in nature might be less, but the outcome is the same. I think such film should be recognised in the bigger platforms. This is the age we live in where awareness needed about the awareness films. What we have become.

A heartbreaking family tale, as well as their concerned environment, the film covered two topics so brilliantly. Well performed actors and I liked the locations. Even though the places are polluted, especially during the harvest, such quietness is very relaxing. I do remember in my childhood during visiting grandparents in their village, sitting lazily after having a lunch under the shades of a tree on a hot summer day was so cool experience. Now we're losing that, and I think that's the closest what this title means. The final frontier, the edge of world where humans and nature meets. Like I said the film is not for everyone, watching capacity wise, but its concern everybody. If you are okay with slow pace narration, then you should try it.

7/10

A Colombian family drama with lots of environmental and social issues addressed during the 97 minutes it lasted. Not many people are familiar with this film even after winning a price in Canes.

César Augusto Acevedo wrote and directed this movie, to depict on the screen the world he came from... struggling rural society where any kind of entertainment or fun is a luxury! Slow movement tests your nerves but sometimes is beneficial letting us to contemplate the situations and consequences of this simple story deeper!

Superb cinematography, excellent directing and perfect acting from the non-actors! They all deserve the highest praise!

Do not miss it!