La Soledad
(La soledad)
Jorge Thielen-Armand | Drama, Fiction
2016 | 89 minutes | Venezuela, Canada, Italy
Handyman José lives with his family in La Soledad, a ramshackle villa located in what was once among Caracas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Might a fabled treasure supposedly hidden in La Soledad’s walls offer José’s family a chance at a better life?
Synopsis
Handyman José lives with his family in La Soledad, a dilapidated villa located in what was once among Caracas’ most affluent neighborhoods. After learning that the villa’s owners are planning to sell the estate, José seeks any solution that might keep his six-year-old daughter from growing up in Caracas’ crime-sodden slums. Might that fabled treasure supposedly hidden in La Soledad’s walls offer José’s family a chance at a better life?
Jorge Thielen Armand’s feature debut carves fiction from reality: La Soledad was once his family’s home; this story is true, acted out by the people who lived it. La Soledad looks beyond the headlines and gives a voice to those affected by contemporary Venezuela’s inner turmoil. It is a magnificent feat of real-life storytelling—and a profound fusion of creativity and compassion.
Reviews
"Recommended. Thielen Armand and his crew deserve enormous credit for... shining a light on an aspect of economic collapse that doesn't get a lot of attention in the news media, the slow and painful death of that which we call "ordinary." La Soledad is especially promising for a debut feature and marks its director as one to watch." — Andy Horbal, Cornell University Library, EMRO
"Sometimes humorous, sometimes poetic, and ultimately devastating." — Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
"Director Jorge Thielen Armand paints a social-political mosaic of current Venezuela, with this utterly captivating, poetic observation on the strength of a father decided to save his family and the powerful connection they share." — Roger Costa, Brazilian Press
"An inventive and insightful exercise in exploring a real location down to the last cobwebbed corner. And politically, it depicts a desperate state of affairs, but with hope and quiet energy." — Jonathan Romney, The Guardian
"A window into the catastrophic reality of the current Venezuela." — Erika Angulo, Nbcnews.com
"A vital survey of contemporary Venezuela as seen from the eyes of a single, struggling working class family." — David Jenkins, Little White Lies
"Combining sharp social critique with the offbeat poetry of magical realism, La Soledad offers an engaging portrait of the effects of economic catastrophe on individuals' lives...La Soledad not only offers a lyrical evocation of a decaying world but also opens up new possibilities for documentary cinema." — Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
"Acted out by a cast of real-life personages...Poetic and ultimately devastating. It puts a human face on the economic catastrophe of contemporary Venezuela." —Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
"A flower of a film amid the ruins of Caracas." — The Guardian
"Remarkably assured, even as it blurs the lines between fiction and reality. " —Kevin Maher, Times (UK)
Citation
Main credits
Thielen Armand, Jorge (film director)
Thielen Armand, Jorge (film producer)
Thielen Armand, Jorge (screenwriter)
López, Adrializ (on-screen participant)
Dolores López, José (on-screen participant)
Alvillares, Marley (on-screen participant)
Michelangeli, Rodrigo (film producer)
Michelangeli, Rodrigo (screenwriter)
Herrera, Adriana (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Rodrigo Michelangeli; editor, Felipe Guerrero.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Afro-Latin Studies
Cinema Studies
Culture + Identity
Economics + Social Class Issues
Family
Health + Aging
Latin American Studies
Race + Ethnicity
Sociology
South America
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Venice International Film Festival
Cartagena International Film Festival
Buenos Aires Festival of Independent Cinema
Biarritz Festival of Latin American Cinema - Prix du Syndicat Français de la Critique de Cinéma
Durban International Film Festival - Best Screenplay, Best Editing
Miami International Film Festival - Audience Award for Best Film
DIRECTOR: Jorge Thielen-Armand
NATIONALITY: Venezuela, Canada, Italy
YEAR: 2016
GENRE: Drama, Fiction
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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