Les couleurs de la montagne

Los Colores de la Montaña (The Colors of the Mountain) is one of the more delicate and sophisticated films to deal with warring factions in South American countries to come along in a long time. Written and directed by newcomer Carlos César Arbeláez this story is wise because it explains the work through the eyes of children: perhaps that is the best way to understand the conflicts that flood the planet at present.

Set is the lush and picturesque mountains of Colombia, we gradually discover through the games of the children that there are two factions struggling for power in this remote area - the military of the government and the reactive guerrillas. Manuel (Hernán Mauricio Ocampo) is eight and loves soccer even though his soccer ball is an old collapsed mess of toy. He and his friends Julián (Nolberto Sánchez) and the little albino boy Poca Luz (Hernán Méndez) play soccer anyplace they can. Manuel also tends to his duties as a farmer's son (his father is devoted to him, sharing the chores, and protecting him and his wife and baby from the bilateral dangers of the military and the guerrillas): his parents reward him on his ninth birthday with a new soccer ball and gloves. Very proud, Manuel shares his treasure with his friends but accidentally the ball lands in a minefield (the result of the military invasion) and becomes inaccessible. The boys challenge Poca Luz to retrieve it but he fails. A new teacher comes to the village and brings order to the chaos the children feel. Discovering that Manuel colors pictures of his countryside in his notebook the teacher decides to use his talent that that of his friends to paint over political graffiti smeared on the schoolhouse: she loses her job. Rebel forces and military forces enter the village and families are forced to evacuate - but Manuel manages to recover his treasured new soccer ball in the midst of the senseless fighting the adults of his world are staging. After all, what is really important?!

The acting skills of these children are beautifully straightforward and unforced, thanks to the fine direction of Arbeláez. He manages to tell a tale that is tender, humorous, and meaningful and in the end it is the inherent pure wisdom of children that seems to be the sustaining factor in the little villages of the mountains of Colombia. The lush photography is by Oscar Jimenez. This is a very fine film that has already won awards in festival, but it is a film that is more important that it be shared by a very large audience. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Grady Harp

It's worth to say that actually the military forces are well represented in this movie because they are totally absent as a it happens in Colombia's countryside. The destiny of many farmers in many regions is controlled by the authority of the moment, in this case either the "guerilla" or the "paramilitares". Nice movie that show what most of the Colombian already know but with a very sensitive touch avoiding the shocking-eye bloody and sad images and presenting how complex has been the conflict in Colombia has been, where its main reason is the economical interest on the land, and where public authorities are completely incompetent and unfair, triggering the formation of groups of alleged left or right philosophy that are no better.

A theme that pops up at a relatively high rate in foreign films I watch is that of children trying to go about their lives with a turbulent world all around them. This film from Colombia portrays one boy, a nine year old, and his friends who just want to play futbol after school. They just want to be kids. And isn't that what we should wish for children, to have happy, playful lives growing up? It's not so easy when guerrillas and paramilitary harass and even kill those who don't ally themselves with one side or the other. Here in this remote part of Colombia it's "Join us or we kill you" or "You're still here so you must be a bad guy, we kill you." Very difficult to live a quiet, peaceful life. Why must there be such warring violence? What can you do except try to rise above it and live... or run away to where it's safer. Here in this village, they just want to go to school and play soccer and tend to their farms. Such genuine performances in this beautifully photographed film. Children who've never acted are some of the finest actors ever thanks to a director who doesn't force acting but allows it to happen so naturally. Our story never relies on sap to evoke emotion, nor does it include over usage of violence and death to get to the point -- just life through these children and their families and their brave teacher who tries so hard to give them normalcy. If this followed the yellow brick road to shangri-la, it would have a happy, hopeful ending. Unfortunately life does not always take that road. Sad because of the circumstances surrounding our characters but a story that I so very much appreciated seeing and will most definitely watch again!

8.7 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

Touching anti-war film about a nine year old boy in a small rural village in Colombia. The boy, Manuel, just wants to play with his friends, all of whom manage to stay fairly oblivious the the civil war slowly encroaching on their town. The rebels threaten those who won't join up (including Manuel's father), and the government troops on the other side are ready to kill any they even suspect of being rebels. It's truly a hellish no-win situation for the farmers and families of this otherwise pretty idyllic farm area.

The film is told mostly from the boy's perspective, leading to some interesting contrasts between what we as an adult audience can glean about what's really going on, while enjoying the sweet innocence of Manuel and his friends' perceptions, as they try to hang onto their childhoods. While I respected the film, and even admired it, it's so understated, that it had a bit less emotional kick than I was expecting on first viewing. But it got stronger and more emotional on a second watch, once I was used it it's quiet tone. There were still a few moments that felt a bit forced, and not all the kid actors are great, but neither flaw was enough to get in the way of being left moved and thoughtful.

Carlos César Arbeláez, the listed as the director started by making documentaries in the Nineties including Cómo llegar al cielo, El cine en casa, Casa de mujeres and Negro profundo. This was his his first fictional feature film, and his background of aiming a camera at real people and settings is clearly seen.

IMDb does not for some reason list the writer, but if you follow the link to the trailer, at the end it says "escrita y dirigida" which means that Arbelaez both wrote and directed this film; it is his baby, and how proud he should be. The dialog and actions of the characters could very well have been from a documentary, and this includes everyone from the focal adults to the incredible children and even the toddlers and the "attack" dog.

This film depicted something that we who live in an ordered political system, even if far from any ideal, never have to experience first hand, a world of eternal lethal conflict where there is no way to opt out and choose to live peacefully. The genius of this film was that the horror of this existence was seen through the innocent eyes of children, in this case who had the comfort of their simple home, family and friends. We sensed the danger around them, but felt somehow protected from it, as they did.

And their brand new soccer ball that was the gift to nine year old Manuel by his struggling farm family that was to provide pleasure to the whole gang of kids. A simple toy, that happened to fall down a ravine that while almost accessible, was in a field that had been strewn with mines by the guerrilla forces that were demanding fealty from Manuel's father.

How close was the ball to being reached and saved, as close as the vulnerable families who were beset by violence with no way to escape it. How simple and pure is a ball, a device that combined with human creativity can focus the energies of children, and of adults to crescendos of exuberance, whether in a vast stadium or a simple flat area among the hills of a desolate farm community.

A true work of rare artless art.