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Reviews (3)

Outstanding!
Although this film centers on Deafness in France, the closely related language, culture and people appeals to American audiences."In the Land of the Deaf" is as moving and telling as any documentary on the Deaf World I have seen.Covering issues including: Deafness and the Arts, Oral Education, Total Communication, Cultural Divides, Abuse and Misunderstanding, Young Adult Life, and the Joys of Deaf Community and Successful Inter-cultural Relations...this film is a MUST SEE for members of every academic dicipline who claim some connection with humanity.

More than documentary, a must for any film buff
Deafness merely happens to be the subject of this extraordinary documentary. Sensitive and unobstrusive, good camera work, wonderful rhythm, great story telling, sense of humor, no axe to grind and thus allthe more moving. All the same adjectives apply to Philibert's "LaMoindre des choses" about patients at a clinic outside Parisrehearsing for a play.

An interesting look into the Deaf culture.
I am a student of American Sign Language, and saw this movie in my class. I was surprised at my reaction to forcing the children to learn to speak. According to my instructor, who herself is deaf, this is very true to life.I recommend this movie to parents of children who are deaf or hard ofhearing before making any decision about forcing a child to speak just sothat they can be "normal". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film - French    4. International    5. Movie   

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Reviews (22)

Las Hurdes is absolutely shocking
I just watched Land Without Bread, or Las Hurdes, the only documentary directed by Luis Bunuel. The film is short, only 27 minutes, but it is long enough to portray enough human suffering to disgust. Images include a girl who lies in a road for two days and then dies. No one helps. The local schoolteacher instructs rows upon rows of malnourished children to respect the property of others. The schoolteacher feeds them bread, and makes them eat it immediately to keep their starving parents from taking it from them. They dip it into the only nearby source of water, a trickle running through a ditch where the pigs wallow. Bunuel illustrates with these sorts of images how these people are unbelievably pathetic, yet he clearly goes beyond this when he shows images of the developmentally challenged somehow teetering on the edge of life in a world where even the fittest can rarely overcome. "Morons and dwarves are plentiful..." says the narrator, but in some degree or other, all the people of the community are tragically moronic at every turn. They drink water from the ditch, yet somewhere within a reasonable distance is a river. They try to plant a crop, but the crop is washed away because they plant too near that river. They cook over an open fire indoors, but they don't make windows for themselves to let smoke out of their homes. They have no food for two months of the year, and yet mothers carry babies around in almost every shot. The viewer is left with the distinct impression that these people can't survive much longer, and there is certainly no optimism in sight when the film ends. How in the world can these people not plan a little better? The answer, I think, must lie in the intellectually suffocating nature of their hopelessness, the horrendous condition they feel swept away again and again along with every one of even the slightest currents of misfortune. Perhaps they've simply quit trying, it would seem.

Groundbreaking, but no masterpiece
Recently, I purchased and viewed my first Luis Bunuel film, Los Olvidados (The Young and the Damned). The film is very good, including some incredibly poignant and unforgettable images. I then decided to purchase and view one of his earlier works, likewise considered a masterpiece of film, Un Chien Andalou/Land Without Bread. This is awful. A mish-mash of mush! Its only redeeming quality is its brevity. Once again, here we have a film that is given much more credit than it deserves, and I'm starting to think that the reason this often happens is that: a) the movies are old and therefore deserve respect for being "groundbreaking" b) they are "enigmatic," which is the critically vogue term for "confusing," which is often the polite term for "stupid," which when inserted into the VCRs of sheltered and myopic film critics can be enigmatically transformed into "intellectual." What's more appalling than this film is the praise that is heaped upon it. So the eyeball scene is groundbreaking. So what? It's not all that! I suppose lifting up the blanket--twice--to view the dead baby was likewise groundbreaking. Try disgraceful. Un Chien Andalou/Land Without Bread is a mongrelization of meaningless movie-making that belongs on some dusty shelf in some vault catalogued for historical reference only. You've been warned.
'Land Without Bread' might be Bunuel's masterpiece
'Un chien andalou' (1928) is the best-known film on this video and is a fascinating work in its own right, but the real masterpiece here is undoubtedly 'Land Without Bread' ('Las Hurdes'). As great as most of Bunuel's subsequent films would be, this 27-minute 1932 work arguably towers above them all. Calling it a documentary would not do justice to its unrivaled breadth: among other things, this film asks the questions 'what is a documentary?' and 'what is the role of the documentarist?', and this prevents us from using definitive, short-circuiting labels. In fact, no label could conceivably express this film's power. The controversy surrounding this work has three main sources: 1) some of the sequences have apparently been staged by Bunuel; 2) the impersonal narration seems in direct contrast to the pain and tragedy that unfolds on the screen; 3) so is Bunuel's choice of using Brahms's Fourth symphony as background music. For these reasons, cinephiles have been disagreeing for over 70 years about Bunuel's treatment of human and animal misery in this film. For me, his audacious technique creates a space - a window - between the viewer and the plight of the Hurdanos; it is this space that somehow transfigures their misery, rather than merely exploit it (as some have suggested). The film becomes a true initiation for the viewer: it provides a difficult, troubling but potentially life-changing experience. In the end, Bunuel's intentions do not matter as much as the impact his film can have on those who see it; and for this viewer, he has carved a moving, mysterious and ineffable work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (128)

Riefenstahl's Powerfully Cinematic Sensibilities Remain Noteworthy Despite the Controversial Subject
Before her death in 2003 at the age of 101, filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl would have you believe she had no affiliation with the Nazi party when she was asked by Adolf Hitler to document the momentous four days leading to the 1934 Nuremberg rally. However, it's obvious from her concurrently celebrated and reviled 1935 propaganda film that she was mesmerized by Hitler's oratorical skills judging from the dynamic way she has captured his undeniable charisma. She shows a remarkable deftness in editing techniques and camera movement and placement that remains the gold standard among documentarians. Riefenstahl succeeds in making Hitler a larger than life figure to the masses without resorting to editorial commentary to validate what is obvious from the images.
Try to remember -- the movie wasn't made for YOU!
After slogging through a number of these reviews it is clear that most cannot see that we Twenty-First Century Americans were not the intended audience for this movie. The movie was intended to be a unifying morale-builder for the National Socialist Party in Germany, which had been in power only about a year when this movie was made.
Fine film! (too bad about all the Nazis in it...)
As another reviewer rightly pointed out, this film is one of the most influential films in cinema history. A masterpiece of editing, cinematography, and all around directing. It is a shame, then, that because of the subject matter - much like the Communism of "Battleship Potemkin" and racism of "Birth of a Nation" - it is another film doomed to always be a taboo, a guilty pleasure for film buffs. I sincerely doubt it's the kind of movie you'd watch with your girlfriend, but as a historical piece it's still recommended.
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Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign Film - German    3. Movie   

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Reviews (5)

Not a film for lovers of contemporary art
It is a film about a draftsman at work. The film documents the exacting methods used by López García, but provides no insight into his creative process. It is quite possible that his art is meant to engage neither the mind nor the heart, but at 2 hours, the film is way too long.
The Definition of Banality
Victor Erice's El Sol Del Membrillo is without a doubt one of the most mind-numbingly arid films I've had the displeasure of experiencing. It seemed to be created with one purpose in mind: to make art so completely monotonous that it sucks every last trace of enjoyment out of it and discourages anyone who watches it from ever considering art as either a profession or a hobby.
slow down poetry see deep soul (or how to lose your marble)
if the artist this film follows wasn't my favorite living artist i am not sure i would be as enamored by itRead more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

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Reviews (8)

A pure joy
How lucky we are to have this wonder available, as copyright problems have kept it out of European cimenas for decades. If there has ever been a better film, I haven't seen it. It rings as true now as when I saw it as a student in Paris in the seventies. Yes, the pathos is milked for all it is worth, but the acting is glorious, and it seems as if the circus hasn't left town yet. Enjoy. John Bald

Au revoir my vanished dreams !
If you thought everything was said about the childhood universe with Willy Wonka , Wizard of Oz , Mary poppins or Fantasy , sorry you made a wrong choice .
A Touching Movie
Fellini sees the grotesque, the ugly, the pathetic, and funny side of clowns. After showing us how clowning mirrors the grotesques of ordinary life he steps into the role of a documentary filmmaker with a bumbling crew trying to recover the great clowining of the past. He doesn't find it by interviewing pathetic old retired clowns, but he recreates it in a final extravaganza--a clown funeral complete with men in horse suits and a clown fire company. I understand a lot about Fellini's other movies after seeing his nostalgic recreation of clowning.This is one of Fellini's best--direct, unpretentious, funny and touchingl. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - Italian    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

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Reviews (3)

Good dancers make it look so easy, but...
In watching "The Dancer," I'm struck by how much time and work dancers, teachers, and even shoe makers put into perfecting their craft. "The Dancer" shows glorious dancing in some wonderful performance sequences, but even more important it shows the work behind creating those moments that have so often taken my breath away. I love watching good dancing on stage, but what this film reveals is the endless amount of work it takes to get there... the rehersals, the constant feedback from the trained eyes of teachers, the impossible stretches, and even the making and fitting of the pointe shoes. I'm no ballet dancer, but watching this makes me appreciate the process of beautiful dancing (perhaps even more than the performance.)

Another look at art
I can't count the number of times I've watched this movie. I am not adancer but a lover of the arts, and this documentary of a committedballerina is the perfect portrayal of what it means to be blissfullyaddicted to an artform. Endless tendus at the barre, sewing of satin bandsto toe shoes, and aching muscles tell her story in a beautiful way. Itstarts and ends at the barre, exactly where every ballerina should befound. Admire her diligence and committment, and see what the human body iscapable of expressing.

Deep insight into the world of dance
The final credits are running as I'm beginning to write my impressions of this film. The Dancer goes into painstaking detail as it follows a cameo view of a ballerina in the making. This is a film of few words with anemphasis being placed on shape, form and movement. Considering that this isbasically a documentary, not having a heavy dose of dialoge is risky. Seemsthough that this works.

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film - Swedish    4. International    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Following the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro's trusted comrade Ernesto Che Guevara found himself becoming a bureaucrat. Seeking a return to action, Che eventually traveled in secret to Bolivia in 1966, hoping to foment a revolution on the South American mainland that would spread throughout all of Latin America. This documentary, which relies greatly on a journal Che kept during his time in Bolivia, as well as interviews with contemporaries who fought in the hills with him, provides an insightful look at his thoughts during the last year of his life. Che's apparent intent in Bolivia was, of course, to copy the success of the Cuban Revolution, but the words of his journal, as read in the documentary, betray his increasing hopelessness. His band of guerrillas was tiny and hungry, often more concerned with killing birds for food than with any principles of global revolution. According to those who appear on camera tospeak of Guevara's final days, it seems the peasants were terrified of gettinginvolved. Tracking Guevara's movements through the Bolivian mountains, thedocumentary proceeds at a leisurely pace, but it also provides a great deal ofinformation about Guevara's final days, leading up to his execution by Boliviantroops acting, some say, under the direction of the CIA. Read more

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Reviews (4)

Story of a Glorified Terrorist
The American public is a sucker for an underdog story.Truth be told, Che was not much more than a literate, terrorist thug. Much like Osama bin Laden, except not as charismatic.He's no different than the insurgents we see in videos coming out of Iraq.Che executed a great number of prisoners, with no trial and no mercy.
Great footage of Che's final journey
Following the Bolivian trails where Che fought his last battles is quite moving. This documentary wore me out both emotionally, and in some strange way, physically. Not the best book around
Che Guevara's legacy goes way deeper that what the book makes it to be. The book is obviously written by a westerner who does not respect this figure of history a whole bunch. Try other books written by more serious writer to find out the real story of Che. Long live Che. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Drama    3. Movie   

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Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign Film - Russian    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

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Reviews (2)

Interesting--But With All the Scarey Details Left Out
Get this tape, but don't expect anything startling.The aged ex-bodyguard is careful to speak only about silly stuff:Stalin catching a worker taking a bath in his private bath house, Stalin giving lifts in his limousine to people standing at a bus stop, etc.Occassionally the mask drops, as when the old man refers to managing a string of Moscow informants.Then his eyes turn steely, which fifty years before must have been bone-chilling.The tape ends with him teaching his accordion technique to a gaggle of gradeschool children. Bizarre.

Seems to be 100 percent legitimate... a solid documentary.
I saw this tape in 1988, or was it 1989, in Los Angeles. It was during the period of perstroika, delivered by hand, and was represented as part of Moscow's demonstration of a new willingness to examine issues and create dialogue in the latter days of the Cold War. Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign Film - Russian    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Amateur movies shot with small handheld cameras by six German infantrymen on the Eastern Front during World War II form the core of this documentary. The men who took the movies appear on camera as old men to provide narration (in German, with subtitles), and they provide a perspective not often heard. As might be expected, they distance themselves from atrocities, and as they were foot soldiers in the Read more

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Reviews (17)

Most important historical document.
I believe that McNamara is wrong about what the gentlemen is describing. McNamara states that the old soldier is describing the journey to the front before the invasion of Poland. My take on it is that the old soldier is describing the move to the front through Poland and to the assembly positions for the invasion of Russia in 1941.
Mein Kreig, go for it
This DVD is not for people with a closed mind, it is an example of journalism not a war story. It is the simple story of German cameramen in WWII, what they saw, what happened them and how they felt. Is is refreshing to see footage of WWII that isn't written from an action or moral stance. It is a fly on the fall that runs from the start of the war when these men moved forward with their nations troops right up to the time that they arrived home after defeat and what awaited when they got "home". There are no big battle sceens and their certainlt is no happy ending. Buy it and use it as educational material. Landsers narrate their own war
I was a bit disappointed by this DVD, but it is still worth having. It provides some very penetrating insight onto bits of everyday life for the German landser on the Eastern front -- the footage is mostly of barracks, hospitals, rear-areas, roads, and only rarely the front -- but its short length (90 minutes) and the unavoidable messiness brought about by editing the amateur footage of six different men into one narrative gave it a ragged, uneven feel. It also seemed like the documentarians' questions were fairly loaded, as if they were trying to force the ex-landsers into admitting guilt for their participation in the war (which it was obvious only one or two of them really felt) rather than simply letting their words speak for themselves. The air of judgementalism, whether or not it is justified, has no place in a neutral format such as this. In any case, there are many fine moments in the footage. The striking (color) image of the ragged swastika flag flying over the barracks and the Nazi-style monuments is jarring because it looks so recent. One rarely gets such a sense of connection the historical past with B&W film. Similarly the color shots of the soldiers make them look alive and real in a way B&W film does not. One gets a sense that indeed, all of this did really happen. Seeing bombed-out ruins of Polish and Russian cities in black-and-white is one thing, but in color it is striking. There was not as much color as I had hoped, but the other scenes of the AA gun shooting down the Russian plane, the night tank scrap, the retreat in the mud sea and the unexpected arrival of Field Marshal von Manstein for dinner in the field are all very interesting, as is much of the narrative. To see men talking about the experiences they filmed themselves, fifty years later, is often moving. I just wish there was more of it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Documentary    3. Foreign Film - German    4. Movie   

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Reviews (1)

Werner Herzog's documentary on the Wodaabe Tribe
German director Werner Herzog is known for setting his feature films such as "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" and "Fitzcarraldo" in remote places inhabited by primitive people, so it is not all that surprising that this documentary studies the Wodaabe, a tribe of Saharan nomads whose life has not progressed much beyond the Stone Age.Herzog, an interesting anthropologist to be sure, is captivated by the mating rituals of the tribe, in which the men make themselves beautiful so that the women can select their husbands.An interesting film, but do not expect it to be comparable to Herzog's dramatic work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - French    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

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Reviews (3)

Deadly Currents
This was a phenomenal movie! I would very highly recommend it for anyone wanting a honest and unbiased explanation of the Israeli-Palestinian issues.It examines both sides of the conflict throughly, and immerses the watcher in the reality and the pain of the situation. Everybody should watch this ......

you gatta know that kind of world!!
I just watched this film at my school. I was so shocked and surprised because that was for the first time I saw that kind of film. I liked the film because of their ways of expresions of anger. however, I didn't knowabout thier history and english is not my first languages so I could notunderstand the whole story. does anyone can tell me more about this film?

you gatta know that kind of world!!
I just watched this film at my school. I was so shocked and surprised because that was for the first time I saw that kind of film. I liked the film because of their ways of expresions of anger. however, I didn't knowabout thier history and english is not my first languages so I could notunderstand the whole story. does anyone can tell me more about this film? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign Film - Other    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Most people associate the director Werner Herzog with the actor KlausKinski--but few know how twisted and enmeshed their relationship was. Though Kinski has made dozens of movies, he probably remains best known for the five he made with Herzog: Read more

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Reviews (20)

'People like Brando are just kindergarden compared to Kinski'.
This above quote from Werner Herzog may shock a lot of film buffs, but it goes to show you just how extraordinary of an actor Klaus Kinski was.'Kinski: My Best Fiend' is a eye-opening and touching look at two visionary artists.The German director Werner Herzog looks back on his experiences with Klaus Kinski.From the time Herzog was 13 years old, when he first met Kinski, to the time of the filming of their last film together, 'Cobra Verde', this documentary is often as haunting and eerie as Herzog's films themselves.They both had a love-hate relationship that carried on until Kinski's death.At the same time, both artist were in awe of each other.Both realized they had exceptional talent and knew they could not create meaningful, artistic work without each other.

"Impulsive. Unpredictable. Half-mad. He wasn't quite normal"
This brilliant and compelling documentary was directed (and narrated) by Werner Herzog, one of the most creative and original directors of all time. The documentary focuses on one of the best actor/director teams in the history of cinema: Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. They had an ofen violent love-hate "friendship", each one fueled by inner passions...and demons.
The kid stays in the picture despite the psychotic outbreaks
A grandly entertaining documentary that manages to be savagely funny, nail-bitingly harrowing and oddly moving all at once. Director Werner Herzog does a bit of self-absorbed navel-gazing and a lot of tall tale-spinning in this retrospective of his love-hate artistic partnership with actor Klaus Kinski (Urban legend puts both men literally plotting the other's murder at one time or another). Of course, we all know that "dead men tell no tales", (uh-Kinski did die of natural causes, far as we know) so we have to acknowledge the point-of-view as a bit lopsided from the outset; although to his credit Herzog does consult a couple of Kinski's leading ladies, who seem more willing to recall examples of Kinski's kinder, gentler (and lucid) moments (Most backstage footage of Kinski included shows the actor in "screaming tantrum" mode, which can paint a somewhat one-dimensional portrait.) As some reviewers have said, it does help if you have previously viewed the pair's more mercurial collaborations first, namely "Fitzcarraldo" and "Aguirre, The Wrath Of God", as both projects mirror the pathos and bathos of the real life relationship. Ultimately, the film begs the question: Are any great artists ever "normal" people anyway? From Mozart to Brando, history seems to bear out that when it comes to the creative arts, there is frequently a fine line between "being a genius" and "needing to be locked up". Final scene is an unexpectedly loving and beautiful coda which brought tears to this viewer's eyes. Essential viewing for fans of the director and his muse. ... Read more

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Reviews (5)

Jorge Zanada's documentary on the Argentinian Tango
"Tango: Our Dance" refers to the people of Buenos Aires for whom the Tango is much more than a dance.It is a ritual imbued with great sensuality and style.Director Jorge Zanada is not offering up an extended music video, because this documentary looks at how the Tango fits uniquely into the culture of Argentina focusing on the elements of passion and machismo contained within the dance.Robert Duvall makes a "special appearance" in this film which is in English with Spanish subtitles."Tango Bayle nuestro" won the Golden Precolumbian Circle Best Documentary Award at the 1989 Bogota Film Festival.Ultimately, this film is more about culture than it is about dance per se.

docu with real tango
Finaly a documentry with real danced Argentine tango with normal people, realy improvising on the music. Not everything I like in this video, there is a part with Ballroom tango and a choreographed dance (orgenised by an american program for latino's) that misses the point, but I like realy the end, a ballet , but it is beatifully danced in real Tango stile, that means heavy, down to the ground.

Real Tango
Somewhat overwrought in its politics, but this film does put tango in its cultural context.This film shows ordinary people dancing the tango and talking about the dance they love.It contrast the real tango in BuenosAires and the acrobatic tango you see in shows.This film is insightfuland passionate and beautiful and sad, much like the tango itself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. Movie   

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Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)    2. Drama    3. Movie    4. Silent Films    5. Silent Movie   

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Reviews (3)

Appallingly Misinformed!
Having lived in South-East Asia for 3 years and having traveled to and studied the culture and history of Burma and Cambodia, I feel it is my duty to write this review. It's amazing how many false and misleading statements one VHS cassette can contain. I don't know where to begin. I almost pressed the stop button when he was showing the people raising money for the temples and claimed that no one would fail to make a donation "for fear of incurring the wrath of Buddha." First, that is absolutely untrue. Most people traveling the roads of Burma don't make donations at ever temple they pass. Second, anyone with even the most basic understanding of Burmese Buddhism knows that Buddhist don't perceive the Buddha as cursing people who don't donate to temples.
Outstanding! A real eye opener!
Martin Sheen does an outstanding job of narrating the journey through Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam. He takes us where we can not go on our own.This documentary is a total eye opener to cultures that we learn littleabout in the mainstream press.It makes one appreciate what advancedcivilizations once existed in this part of the world, and how the peoplenow manage their lives despite oppressive governments.This video is amust see.It will make the viewer want to experience the Burmese and Khmercultures first hand. Outstanding footage of Angkor Wat is shown.

VIETNAM, CAMBODIA AND BURMA - TOTALLY EXOTIC!
This video, narrated by Martin Sheen, takes us into closed, hidden Burma to see what the government there doesn't want us to see - a repressed society, and then shows us golden temples, Inle Lake, Pagan, Mandalay,Rangoon - then to Cambodia, just awakening after decades of struggle, thenon to Vietnam - opening its doors to commerce. Rick Ray, the director hasdone a superb job, in National Geographic style - of documenting thisjourney. Better than the Video Visits or Lonely Planet series - he traveledwith only a backpack and shot an intimate portrait of these places andpeople. It is fascinating - I'll watch it over and over. ... Read more

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Reviews (4)

hustlers in prague
this documet about hustlers in prague in 1994 is well done. in some parts, u woldn't believe how stupid can teenagers be. but if you have to choose between angels but not angels or body without soul, take the second one. it goes deeper into the problem. i also recomend movie mandragora, which is based on these two documents and real story about two hustlers in prague.

The Other Side of Prague
I've been visiting Prague on a regular basis now and have found it to be a very extra-ordinary place.... quite magical I would say.Like any developing country, prostitution is a part of life.It's a choice and no but's..... like the casts of this movie, all of them had a choice but they choose to make money the "easy" way.Although I like this movie, this is no different from other movies made with the same theme.It always try to depict the "prostitute" as the victim.I'm not saying that they're not but no one forced them to this "profession" and this movie would actually prove me right.It's sad, in a way, but that is life!

Good insight to the seedy underbelly of Prague
For those of you who have never been to Prague or those who like to learn about eastern europe this is a good insight. i've been there several times and have witnessed first hand what this picture is about. it is a documentary that describes in detail the horrific and dreary lives of those less fortunate in post-communist czech republic. the things that young boys have to do to survive in the big city, having come from small villages outside Prague--this is not a documentary for children. This is a documentary for those who like to learn about all facets of life around the world. Picture quality is not as bad as previous reviews would lead you to believe.I think if you buy it and don't like it you could donate it to a local university's socialogy department. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Lifestyle    2. Documentary    3. Foreign Film - Other    4. Gay/Lesbian-Themed Film    5. International    6. Movie   

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Disappointed
This is a one hour long documentary that friviously combines homosexuality with totalitarian propaganda. Cannot be compared to "Strawberries and chocolate"

Fascinating true-life story of tolerance and acceptance
A fascinating true-life story of how a determined troupe of drag performers in a "model socialist town" in macho Cuba not only made a name and a business for themselves while operating a nightclubcantina and providing locals with great entertainment, but became acceptedas a part of the fabric of daily life in modern Cuba.A compelling insightinto a Cuba most Americans don't know exists, with a Spanish musicsoundtrack to die for.

An insight into a rarely seen aspect of life in Cuba.
I've been to Cuba a number of times, and I find this documentary informative and exciting because, like "Strawberries and Chocolate," it shows a side of Cuban society the ordinary visitor isunlikely to see. Here, in a large-scale housing development forconstruction workers and their families just outside of Havana, a popularSaturday night form of entertainment is a variety show put on by a group ofamateur performers-- in drag! Their costumes are colorful and sexy, andtheir lip-syncing and movements convey an intensity and variety ofemotional interpretation that create a moving rapport with their audiences.What makes the film especially affecting, though, is the interweaving ofinterviews with the performers, who in "real"�life engage in avariety of occupations, and with family members who have struggled tounderstand and accept this aspect of the lives of a son, a brother, even afather. It is a revelation to see this occurring openly in a country thatonly recently frowned on any manifestations of homosexuality. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    3. Gay/Lesbian-Themed Film    4. Movie