Paper Dove
11-year-old Juan is indoctrinated by terrorists in the breathtaking Andes
Set in the majestic Peruvian Andes Paloma de Papel (Paper Dove) recounts the harrowing coming of age of Juan (Antonio Callirgos).
After his best friend's father is murdered by Shining Path guerrilla fighters, 11-year-old Juan discovers that his stepfather, Fermin (Aristóteles Picho) is a "terruco" (terrorist) involved in the crime. Fermin then arranges for Juan to be kidnapped and indoctrinated by Shining Path. Juan's life undergoes a drastic turn, from innocently chasing sheep with girlfriend Rosita (Anais Padilla Aban) to learning how to make dirty bombs.
Former soap-opera actor Fabrizio Aguilar makes an impressive debut as writer, producer and director. He compellingly illustrates the limbo in which many rural communities lived, caught between corrupt and unreliable government troops and fanatic terrorists.
The characters are multidimensional. Hence, Fermin is not only an abusive stepfather and a traitor, but also a terrified man who struggles to stay sober; Wilmer is not only a cold-blooded murderer, but also a man with strongly held beliefs.
Cinematographer Micaela Cajahuaringa also does a superb job capturing the breathtaking Andean mountains. Mixing wide shots of the dramatic countryside with careful close-ups of the characters, she offers a complex combination of beauty and suffering, of open vastness and claustrophobic terror.
Although "Paloma de Papel" specifically deals with the Peruvian terrorist group The Shining Path, this heartbreaking film is a timely example of the ideology behind terrorist tactics, the usually inept response from corrupt governments and the toll they both take on innocent people's lives. It ought not be missed. (M. Careño King, OffOffOff)
Paper Dove
Wed November 30, 2005, 7:00 & 9:00, Muenzinger Auditorium
90min, Peru, 2003, in Spanish w/English subtitles, Color • official site
Tickets
10 films for $60 with punch card
$9 general admission.
$7 w/UCB student ID,
$7 for senior citizens
$1 discount to anyone with a bike helmet
Free on your birthday! CU Cinema Studies students get in free.
Parking
Pay lot 360 (now only $1/hour!), across from the buffalo statue and next to the
Duane Physics tower, is closest to Muenzinger. Free parking can be found after 5pm at the meters
along Colorado Ave east of Folsom stadium and along University Ave west of Macky.
RTD Bus
Park elsewhere and catch the HOP to campus
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