Alamar (To the Sea)
Summer 2011 Summer Films series
Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 8:00pm
Acadia Cinema's Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main Street, Wolfville, NS
Directed by Pedro González-Rubio
Screenplay by Pedro González-Rubio
Starring Natan Machado Palombini, Jorge Machado and Nestór Marín
Rated G ·
1h 13m
Mexico
Spanish, Italian
Alamar (To the Sea)
Jorge and Roberta have been separated for several years. They simply come from opposite worlds: he likes an uncomplicated life in the jungle, while she prefers a more urban existence. He is Mexican and she is Italian, and she has decided to return to Rome with their five-year-old son, Natan. But before they leave, Jorge wishes to take young Natan on a trip, hoping to teach him about his Mayan origins in Mexico.
At first the boy is physically and emotionally uncomfortable with the whole affair, and gets seasick on the boat taking them to their destination. But as father and son spend more time together, Natan begins a learning experience that will remain with him forever.
About this Fundy Summer Film Father’s Day offering, director Pedro González-Rubio shares:
Banco Chinchorro, the main location where the film takes place, was declared in 1996 a Natural Reserve of the Biosphere by UNESCO, and serious efforts are being made to make it a World Heritage Site. It is home to thousands of different species and the biggest coral reef extension in our country.
By photographing and developing a story based on the current relation between man and his habitat in Chinchorro, I intend to portray my love for this region and the admiration and respect I have towards the lives of its fishermen.
I didn’t want to make a distant or intellectual approach in this film. What I wanted to achieve was a visual experience that could trigger emotions of empathy with the characters. Alamar was inspired by the simplicity of happiness. . .and a father’s decision to go back to his origins in order to teach his son the true values in life.