Flores de otro mundo

If aging population and decline in birth rate are any indication of a troublesome European identity which will continue to haunt all Europe by year 2020,European subcontinent is in desperate need of a poetic film which talks about issues related to population.It is really a wonder that "Flores De Otro Mundo" has not been criticized by feminists.This is primarily because Spanish actress turned director Iciar Bollain has ensured that the female protagonists of her film "Flowers from another world" are not treated as mere objects as the title of her film makes allusion to the word "flowers"."Flores De Otro Mundo" is a supreme example of a work of entertaining art with a serious message which one can take home and share with family members. It is amazing to experience how there is plenty of dignified humor in scenes of match making exercises involving lonely,middle aged Spanish men from farming community and desperate Latino women.By watching this film one can have a first hand idea of why there is dearth of brides in some communities.This is something which is not related to Spain only. This phenomenon can be felt in many countries all over the world.

Three couples on the making in a remote Castilian village. The physical horizons are as vast as the mental horizons are narrow. The three men are local, the three women come from distant places (the "Flowers from another world" of the title). While telling three short stories, the film makes perceptive observations on what makes relationships start and hold on, cultural shock and wear, coexistence of the poor and the less poor, antagonism between cities and countryside. The actors are natural, the script, intelligent and with a point of humor.

This is a film about women from third world countries hoping to get a better life by marrying to a developed country. These women from South America married Spanish men in a singles party, and they thought that they would become rich and happy. However, things are not what they hoped to be. They had to live in rural villages, their husbands were middle aged farmers.

The film concentrated on two couples. One couple were truly in love, they got along well but the woman got kicked away by the husband because she lied that she already got a divorce from her ex-husband. Another couple were not in love, the woman had another boyfriend in Italy and she constantly wanted to leave her husband to go to her boyfriend. In the end she left her husband by fleeing away to Italy without any notice.

This is an interesting film. I never thought that this problem was a worldwide problem before. I know that there are a lot of women from Mainland China who wants to get rich this way by marrying a Hong Kong men, but I did not know this phenomenon occurs in other countries too. When I watched this film, it made me think about this phenomenon. Why are there so many women who want to do this, when there are so many failure stories already? Marriages like these often do not result in happiness. The women have unrealistic expectations and dreams, that they would become disappointed after finding out the truth.

The pace of the film was quite fast. Although the story seemed simple, there were a lot going on in the film that the viewers are kept busy with different events continuously. I liked the leading actress, the woman who loved her husband but got kicked out. Her acting was good, because she showed her emotions without being too exaggerated. Another actor who played well was the apprentice of the carpenter. He tried to have a relationship with the woman who did not love her husband. When he approached her, he was nervous and shy. I think he played his role well.

Another aspect of this film that is worthy of comment is that, when the woman who left her husband first appeared, she was wearing a pair of tights with the pattern of the American flag. I think that this symbolises the fact that she wants to be rich and happy, like the American Dream. We can tell from the start that she married only for money, and she would leave and marry another man if she could not become satisfied.

I would recommend people to watch this film, not just for enjoyment, but for educational purposes too.

A film about a village in Spain importing Latin American brides-to-be for the middle aged farmers and rural workers to marry and create families with. It follows three stories of these unions.

The ladies come on a coach to a warm welcome and a reception from the village but the hard, rural way of living soon gets to the ladies in question - a Cuban, a Dominican and a Basque nurse from Bilbao. With the birthrate declining even moreso in Spain today than it did in the 1990's, this film is relevant today as it was then.

These days, you see many Spanish-Latin American couples and families all over Spain - from Vigo to Almeria - it's not a rarity these days but then it was but if the young of these villages and towns leave for Madrid or Germany, London or Miami then who is going to take their places to keep society going? This film answers that question.

This film addresses serious issues without being heavy-handed or pedantic. The characters are complex individuals, the setting is authentic, the dialog is realistic, often tinged with humor. Some of the film's most charming moments are silent, with only a child's face filling the screen. The humor comes from the characters' personalities, not from contrived situations. There is not a single false note of melodrama or farce in this film. Luis Tosar gives such an understated performance that he disappears into his character. Lissete Mejia and Marilyn Torres anchor the film with nuanced, memorable performances. They are the reason to watch this film.