DIRECTOR: MIGUEL ANGEL FERRER
STARRING: CARLOS MANUEL GONZALEZ, ANYELO LOPEZ, GREISY MENA
RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 38 MINUTES
When a deaf young man asks his estranged older brother to join him in a musical contest, this salt-of-the-earth blue collar worker must dust off his musical chops in order to be his little brother's voice.
STARRING: CARLOS MANUEL GONZALEZ, ANYELO LOPEZ, GREISY MENA
RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 38 MINUTES
When a deaf young man asks his estranged older brother to join him in a musical contest, this salt-of-the-earth blue collar worker must dust off his musical chops in order to be his little brother's voice.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“I may be deaf, but you will hear my voice.”
The Shadow of the Sun is the International Feature submission for Venezuela. Set in the small Venezuelan city of Acarigua, around five hours west of Caracas, is the story Leo and Alex, two brothers who’re struggling to keep afloat. A former singer, Leo now works at a factory, earning minimum wage, while Alex works at a bakery. Haunted by financial debt and endless personal problems at home, Leo’s excessive drinking leads to his dismissal at work.
When his younger brother, Alex, who’s been deaf since birth, finds out about a musical contest in Caracas, where the winner gets $5,000, he suggests to Leo to join the competition in hopes that the prize amount will help with all their economic problems. Reluctant at first, but agreeably a few days later, they sign up for the event, and together they create a band together, reuniting with old friends from the past. Nervous, yet hopeful, the two of them begin an impossible journey of self-discovery with their love of music.
Leo always had a talent for music. As a young man, he formed a band with his friends and performed in front of live audiences. For Alex, his motivation and passion for music came from being bullied as a child for being different. His response was to write songs which would take him to places all around the world. What people said to him didn’t matter anymore, because they couldn’t see all the places that he was seeing through all the songs that he was creating. He became the creator of his own world.
Maximizing one’s potential requires a strong commitment to one’s goals. This means being willing to make sacrifices, take risks, and overcome obstacles. It means being willing to put in the time and effort required to achieve ones objective, even when it is difficult. It’s about developing a plan, having discipline, and complete dedication. It means staying focused and motivated, even when things don’t go as planned. It means having the courage to follow one’s own path, to improvise it. One’s potential is limitless, and with the right mindset and approach, one can achieve great things in life.
The film is a motivation for all of us to a shine a light so bright that it casts a shadow on the sun.
REVIEW: B+
(This review contains spoilers.)
“I may be deaf, but you will hear my voice.”
The Shadow of the Sun is the International Feature submission for Venezuela. Set in the small Venezuelan city of Acarigua, around five hours west of Caracas, is the story Leo and Alex, two brothers who’re struggling to keep afloat. A former singer, Leo now works at a factory, earning minimum wage, while Alex works at a bakery. Haunted by financial debt and endless personal problems at home, Leo’s excessive drinking leads to his dismissal at work.
When his younger brother, Alex, who’s been deaf since birth, finds out about a musical contest in Caracas, where the winner gets $5,000, he suggests to Leo to join the competition in hopes that the prize amount will help with all their economic problems. Reluctant at first, but agreeably a few days later, they sign up for the event, and together they create a band together, reuniting with old friends from the past. Nervous, yet hopeful, the two of them begin an impossible journey of self-discovery with their love of music.
Leo always had a talent for music. As a young man, he formed a band with his friends and performed in front of live audiences. For Alex, his motivation and passion for music came from being bullied as a child for being different. His response was to write songs which would take him to places all around the world. What people said to him didn’t matter anymore, because they couldn’t see all the places that he was seeing through all the songs that he was creating. He became the creator of his own world.
Maximizing one’s potential requires a strong commitment to one’s goals. This means being willing to make sacrifices, take risks, and overcome obstacles. It means being willing to put in the time and effort required to achieve ones objective, even when it is difficult. It’s about developing a plan, having discipline, and complete dedication. It means staying focused and motivated, even when things don’t go as planned. It means having the courage to follow one’s own path, to improvise it. One’s potential is limitless, and with the right mindset and approach, one can achieve great things in life.
The film is a motivation for all of us to a shine a light so bright that it casts a shadow on the sun.
REVIEW: B+
