San Francisco International Film Festival April 25th-May 9th
Blazer: H&M, Button up: ZARA, Trousers: H&M
Dear Viewers,
San Francisco’s 56th International Film Festival was
in town the beginning of May and if you missed it, no big! I will fill you in
on a movie brief of a feature I saw, and a synopsis on the event that I attended
with-partner in crime-Ellie Lopez of BrokeCityStyle.com. It was already convenient
enough that my Broadcast Communications class was let out early, but Ellie was
already in town and we were both ready for our pre-game movie date. Seeing that
I don’t really get to see my cousin very often, we always cherish our time
together and exaggerate our adventures. The midst of us both being on the “brink
of starvation” we decided to take a ride to Valencia St. to steer away from the
roaring traffic downtown, and find a pleasant eatery. It was between Columbian
or some type of ethnic food that we were craving. Knowing us, we couldn’t
choose any ordinary destination; it is a new place every time. Heaven forbid we
eat at the same place twice or even three times. We are both bloggers looking
for new outlets to write about; therefore we are meticulous to where we choose
our next target. Perfecto! We finally spot a Salvadorian/Colombian hole in the
wall restaurant. El Majahual is where we devoured our freshly made pupusas de
frijoles y queso (corn tortilla filled with beans and cheese) and platanos
fritos con frijoles y crema (Fried Plantains, beans, and sour cream)
Yum, Yum delish! Oh and how could I forget our tasty Lulo Juice, it was
extremely refreshing and the perfect solution to cure a sweet tooth. With our
stomachs filled to the brim, we were off to the festival!
We tried to plan our evening so that way we could
see the viewing of Frances Ha, until our plans were deviated by the look of the
line at the door. The festival took place at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas in
Japan Town, San Francisco. It was my first time at Kabuki, and Ellie’s second
time, therefore she was our navigation. It is easy to get lost because the
building is so massive, and is connected to a mall and an outside veranda. Finding
our way to the Cinema, we proceeded to pick the next movie available. After
Lucia, which ironically was our second choice next to Frances Ha.
After Lucia, directed by Michel Franco, is a Spanish
film with English subtitles. Lucia and her father, from Puerto Vallarta, move
to Mexico City to begin their new life, after the death of Lucia’s mother.
Lucia makes new friends and her father gets a new job. Her relationship with
her new friends foil and she is faced with a brutal case of bullying. Keeping the
torment from her father, Lucia faces the deprivation in silence.
Michel certainly meant to throw his audience in an
uncomfortable disposition. Some scenes were hard to watch, the realism was
depicted very well and the intensity was overwhelming. All the more, the story kept
you hungry for more, I was sitting in my seat thinking about how mad I would
be, and what should have been done. Of course I wasn’t going to jump out of my
seat and declare, but I did cry, and I did turn my head to Ellie when I was
confused. With real life situations, it was easier for the audience to relate
to the scenario. With the movie having an unexpected and a twisted ending,
Ellie and I couldn't stop talking about how the movie should have ended! Either way, before leaving I ripped up my ballot and gave the
film an excellent review. I can’t remember the last time I felt so emotional
over a movie before, and I couldn’t stop replaying it back in my head. All the
more I highly recommend watching it; it is an independent film, so it may be
coming to a film festival near you, otherwise you may be able to find it online
or some sort of online movie leak. Check out the website for more information
on the films and the festival at http://festival.sffs.org/.
It is always good to step out of your comfort zone
and discover new things. As cliché as that may sound, it is so bluntly true.
Find a person, who you can experience these new traditions with. It was my
first time going to a film festival, and I really enjoyed it, it felt artsy and
innovating. I also think that if you appreciate film making and supporting the
arts, then a film festival will be a successful creative outlet for you. So the
next time a festival is in town remember what Jazelle from,
PradoNotPrado said!
Ciao, Ciao!