I read a post about Polvos Azules in Spanish, that I thought I should translate into English and share. Titled Una Visita a Polvos Azules, by Edmundo Paz Soldan from ElBoomeran.com.
What is Polvos Azules, you say? Meaning Blue Dusts (as in numbers of types of dust). I’ll let Edmundo explain his experience here in Lima. Also, pointing out… it’s not like I endorse paying for counterfeit merchandise. LOL Just saying, and covering my basis.
Now I understand why Undertow has been winning audience awards everywhere, it plays with your bobito (heart). And comparisons with Brokeback Mountain seem to be inevitable, since they are both dealing with a “gay” thematic in a setting not usually linked to “gay behavior” and they both have to deal with extramarital affairs, but they are little alike.
In Undertow, Miguel (Cristian Mercado) is a fisherman in the small town of Cabo Blanco, Peru, where he is having a baby with his wife Mariela (Tatiana Astengo). The model citizen, a good husband, and well-liked by everyone in town, no one knows that Miguel is having an extramarital affair with Santiago (Manolo Cardona), an artist who’s visited the place since he can remember.
As the melodrama unfolds, writer/director Javier Fuentes Leon doesn’t really take us nowhere we’ve never seen before — if you’ve seen many LGBT-themed films that is, except with that bit with Santiago’s destiny, where the Magic Realism finally kicks in. Ultimately, the film is just a love story, which on one side makes you wonder how well the story would be received if it didn’t have a gay relationship at its core, and on the other side you’re presented with a gay relationship that’s as normal as any heterosexual one.
Undertow will probably get placed next to other LGBT favorites in the following years — once more people get to watch it — right next to crowd’s faves like Brokeback Mountain, Shelter, Where the World Mine, Imagine Me & You, and Show Me Love.
The acting is strong by the three lead actors, being able to carry the whole film in its 100 minutes of running time. The strongest moment in the film was perhaps better condensed in the song by Celso Piña featuring Cafe Tacuba, Aunque No Sea Conmigo, used in the trailer and the film for the line of “Quiero que seas feliz, aunque no se conmigo” (I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me).
Visually, the film delivers some hunting scenes — I still believe Ricardo de Montreuil (La Mujer de mi Hermano, Mancora) is visually better in his work with his advantage work on some very high profile music videos in Latin America… so how about a collaboration, guys?
YAM011 is almost done. The Lima Film Fest ends tonight, so I’ll be closing the issue — hopefully on time, for a release on the 15th at 00.00hr. My timezone, not yours. GMT -5, FYI.
While I was writing the editor’s note — and addressing everyone on the Facebook group — I wondered what to call YAM readers. I thought YAMMIES would be nice, but then the Urban Dictionary told me those are tits/knockers. But then again, Penn & Teller said that pretty much any noun in plural can mean knockers. LOL Watermelons, lemons, air bags. There you go, wouldn’t be much of a difference.
So… then I thought about YAMMERS, but that can’t be good, right? So maybe YAMMIES is fine. Sounds a bit like “jammies” because you know… I’m a Spanish speaker. To me, the sound of a Y with a vowel, and the sound of a J with a vowel is the same. When I first moved to Canada, Yellow and Jello were the same to me. Well, I still can’t get it right. Frak.
Anyway, it’s getting late. I just wanted to post the streams to some of the albums we are reviewing and rating in the new edition of YAM. Not all, but most of them~ Thank you, Xiami ;P
(6) | 
