DVD Postales

A bourgeois American family, on vacation in Peru while the father scouts a site for a new hotel venture he's developing, finds their fate profoundly linked to the lives of a poor Peruvian family who live on the property being eyed for demolition. The name Postales of course translates to "postcards", as in the sale of postcards that is the vocation of 12-year-old protagonist Pablo on the streets of Cuzco, desperately trying to help support his parents. The title also informs the sharp, picturesque visual style of the film, which is laden with gorgeously composed frames featuring the mountainous vistas and ethnographic totems unique to the city.

Postales debuted at the prestigious Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland last fall, and I caught it in its US Premiere at the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina last week. Particularly enthralling is the relationship that builds between Pablo and Mary, an unworldly American pre-teen, against the shrouded Andean backdrop of Cuzco. When older brother Jano implicates the reluctant Pablo into a thievery scheme, the two families are set on a cultural collision course that will forever alter their perceptions and provides for lasting memories that no picture postcard or snapshot could begin to recreate. Featuring English, Spanish, and the pre-Incan indigenous language of Quechua, Postales may be a multi-lingual affair, but its characters ultimately grow to understand the same tongue—the uniting language of cultural perspective and compassion.

I felt when I watched Postales, it was a very cultural experience for myself. I really enjoyed and appreciated all the scenery of Peru. The way these Peruvians live was very educating for me and quite an eye opener. I also thought it was fabulous how the crew intertwined the US culture with the Peruvian culture. As for the cinematography, I feel as if many people in today's society do not stop and smell the roses. In my opinion, this film captures the essence of detail and makes you feel as if you were there in Peru. From the dogs roaming in the streets to capturing the expressions and emotions of everyone's faces….amazing! I loved the Latin music playing in the background at times as well. Furthermore, majority of people can relate to the different roles in this movie. There is every walk of life portrayed in this film. The older and wiser gentleman who is a business man, the Peruvian parents who are suffering a hardship when they find out they are to lose their home, the brothers who are poverty stricken and doing what they need to do in order to survive, the American parents who are a blended family, the sisters who don't always see eye to eye, and even the friends of the Peruvian boys, etc. There is much more to it, but you get the idea. All the different relationships with all who are involved going on throughout the movie make it so full of life and believable. Some may say that it was too coincidental with how all these people crossed each other's path. If you think about it, that is why we call it the circle of life! You will always come across people in life you have never met who somehow know you, or someone you know. One could also say life is a big melting pot and this film reminds us all of that. As I watched this movie, I kept thinking to myself "what is to come in the next scene and then the next scene"? This movie was not predictable and always had me wondering, it was very interesting. I think this film was excellent and I would highly recommend it!