O Coração da Terra

a very tender, thoughtful, if simple rendering of a few themes with excellent believable cast,would make a wonderful full length movie. a movie of reconciliation of the present from a past walked away from till hurled back in to it as a mature adult. it is short with an intense ending. being gay and having been brought up and then leaving the country I felt the scenario was very feasible. I thought film quality was welcome in a low budget film. It also opened up questions of what defines a family and also bridged homespun family loyalties and values into how they affect and fashion a new generation struggling to make new traditions and relationships.

This film is about a man from the heartland of America, having a great life in New York. When he goes back home, he faces the consequences of being gay in his hometown.

In just the first minute, "Heartland" strikes me as being a well produced film. It has a fun way of presenting the introduction by using still photos. The music is upbeat, suiting the New York city lifestyle, contrasting the quiet village life. The best thing is the sharp quality of the picture, which is not a frequent occurrence with low budget shorts. The story itself is not particularly engaging, and the ending is rather contrived.

I enjoyed watching "Heartland" because of the upbeat soundtrack and the presentation of the story.

a simple story.like many others. at the first sigh. a story about tradition and pressure of the family past. about difficult decisions and the need to grow up. about modern life and about a patriarchal world. about the meaning of the word "home". about freedom of teenager and about the responsibilities of the adult. and the best part is the manner to use/present each of this pieces in the perfect balance, without be a demonstration or a lesson. the music, the acting, the dialogues - each is convincing. and almost great. because Heartland is not exactly a pledge. but a beautiful embroidery of emotions. a map. to yourself.