El
Fotógrafo (The Photographer) Chile 2002, 96 min. Directed by Sebastián Alarcón
In this romantic comedy set in the stunningly beautiful Chilean port
of Valparaíso in 1962, a few days before the beginning of the World
Cup, Simón, an ambitious photojournalist, is obsessed with creating
a seminal fotonovela (a novel illustrated with photographs). Despite many
obstacles, Simón and his friends - a colorful group of characters
including a Francophile boarding house owner, a Don Juan, and an Audrey
Hepburn look-alike - embark on a search for artistic identity and love.
In Simón's desperate urge to complete his project, he falls prey
to the hands of the producers who force him to betray his ideas, his friends,
his love and in the end, himself. Director Alarcón masterfully
mixes bright colors and shimmering black-and-white images, brilliantly
recreating a radiant, bygone era in this sumptuous visual treat.