Abby Sawyer
Adrián Caetano presents an interesting twist on the story of immigration. Instead of the typical poor worker from South America struggling to cross the border and survive in the United States, we get a different perspective with immigration within South American countries. This topic is very under-represented in the media although in reality it happens quite frequently. Also highlighted in this film is the racial discrimination that is all too prevalent throughout South America. The main character Freddy struggles to win the respect of the Argentine customers of the café that he works at.Artistically filmed in black and white, the characters seem frozen in time and very distanced from the audience. It's as if we are watching it all play out on a documentary running on the History Channel. An interesting aspect is the television that is constantly showing some soccer game, usually between Argentina and Bolivia, symbolizing the hostility between the two countries that are forced to coexist within the café.
miguelfeyfer
There are movies that shows you how hard can life be for people considered different or out of place. We know that Adrian Caetano is quite an expert in such films. "Bolivia" is not an exception. Really good, makes you think about facts that seems quite normal in our countries.In Argentina the Bolivian or Paraguayan people are generally unwanted immigrants, as Argentinians are unwanted in other places like USA, Italy or Spain. This movie shows clearly how can individual tragedies be part of social discrimination. Considered as "Nuevo Cine Argentino", Caetano's filmography should be watched carefully, being a good director that tells simple but deep stories.
jotix100
Argentina, like some countries in the industrialized world, is being invaded by illegal immigrants from neighboring countries, mainly, Paraguay and Bolivia, where the poorly paid workers believe in going away in search of badly needed money to feed the family they left behind. These poor, unskilled workers are in for a big surprise: the people of the countries they immigrate to, don't want them! Never mind they only take the work that no one else wants to do.The story of Freddy, a Bolivian, is probably universal. As he arrives in Buenos Aires, he finds work in the small restaurant owned by Enrique, who promises to pay Freddy fifteen pesos a day, which is not even five dollars! With that, Freddy has to live and try to save to send home to his wife and children in La Paz. Freddy is expected to work from 7 in the morning until late at night. He is basically the only employee in the place, where he is a cook, tends bar, and does everything the boss, Enrique expects him to do. The other employee, Rosa, is from Paraguay.At the bar, a series of low-life individuals gather to socialize, watch television, as they use the place as their own club. Oso, the unemployed taxi driver is the first one to show his own prejudice against Freddy, who has not been disrespectful to him. Oso complains about how the illegals are taking over. He knows it well because, he, himself, is from Uruguay and has found a home in Buenos Aires. Oso will be instrumental in what happens to Freddy at the conclusion of the story.After his first day in the restaurant, we follow Freddy as he roams the streets of the neighborhood next to the place he works. He is stopped by two policemen who not only are rude to him, but in their eyes, he is guilty of something they haven't decided about. Freddy ends the night in a lonely bistro where he orders coffee and falls asleep. Rosa, the kind waitress, takes pity on him the following night and takes him to the hotel where she has a room. Before that, they have stopped at a club that caters to Bolivians, and Freddy, who has drunk a bit too much, makes a pass at Rosa.Adrian Caetano, the director, also co-wrote the screen play with Romina Lafranchini. "Bolivia" packs a lot in only 75 minutes of screen time. Mr. Caetano plays with our emotions in the way he presents a good man who is willing to work, yet, circumstances beyond his control make him the butt of the hatred people feel about the poor immigrant who is only doing a minimal job to survive. Mr. Caetano, uses the gritty black and white cinematography of Julian Apezteguia to surprising results.Freddy Flores is seen as the Bolivian man trying to eke out a living for himself and his family. Mr. Flores is a natural, as we never feel he, or for that matter, the rest of the cast, acting. Rosa Sanches is perfect as the stoic waitress who never tells us anything about herself. Enrique Laporace makes an excellent contribution as the owner of the restaurant. Oscar Bertea plays the brutish Oso."Bolivia" is a small film, but it holds our attention because of what director Adrian Caetano has done with the story about human beings that roam the globe in search of a meager salary, for them and their families, only to get the scorn from the people that benefit from their labor.
buff-29
Freddie is a Bolivian in Buenos Aires, working as a cook in a small bar/restaurant. His contact with the owner, the working-class customers, and his co-workers tells a story of poverty, intolerance, violence, and despair in contemporary Argentina. This brief (75-minute) film is well worth the effort you may have to make to seek it out. First rate.
