Synopsis & Film Details
Made in the tradition of Buñuel’s Los Olvidados, Francisco Vargas Quevedo’s poignant debut feature is set in a small Mexican village during the uprisings of the 1970s. Portraying the tensions between the peasants and military in the Guerrero region, the absorbing drama follows aging musician Don Plutarco (Don Ángel Tavira), his son and grandson, who scrape together a living as traveling musicians by day. By night, however, they secretly amass resources for the peasant guerrilla movement. Shot in stunning black and white and unfolding with a dreamlike languor, El Violin transcends traditional social commentary. Selected for Un Certain Regard at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and winner for best feature at the 2006 Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival.*
Directed by Francisco Vargas Quevedo
Mexico, 2006
Not Rated, 99 min., bw/35mm
In Spanish with English subtitles
Part of the 3rd Fresno Film Festival (2007).