I went to see 'Hamaca Paraguaya' at an early morning screening at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. Unsure of what to expect, other than a film which takes place almost exclusively around a hammock, I entered the sparsely populated theatre with tired eyes.
Within moments after the film began, I was mesmerized. The monotony of the lives of Ramón and Candida was mirrored by the progression of the film. But instead of becoming boring, the film evoked a sort of slow cadence that was very refreshing and meditative. The sounds of the rainy Paraguayan jungle provided a beautiful backdrop to the conversations between an old man and an old woman waiting for their son to return home.
As a simple, evocative film, Hamaca Paraguaya succeeds admirably. If you go see this, and I really hope many people do: please go in without preconceived notions of it being boring. Instead, let it envelope your emotions and thoughts. By the end, I wished I could sit back in a Paraguayan hammock, and just live.
Within moments after the film began, I was mesmerized. The monotony of the lives of Ramón and Candida was mirrored by the progression of the film. But instead of becoming boring, the film evoked a sort of slow cadence that was very refreshing and meditative. The sounds of the rainy Paraguayan jungle provided a beautiful backdrop to the conversations between an old man and an old woman waiting for their son to return home.
As a simple, evocative film, Hamaca Paraguaya succeeds admirably. If you go see this, and I really hope many people do: please go in without preconceived notions of it being boring. Instead, let it envelope your emotions and thoughts. By the end, I wished I could sit back in a Paraguayan hammock, and just live.