This article contains Culture Editor Ernesto Carlin's comments on 'Retablo,' a Peruvian film —currently in theaters— that has
Two years ago, we shared our comments about Retablo —spoken mostly in Quechua and whose first screening took place at the
Lima Film Festival— noting it has a great start but is unable to develop the ideas it presents.
However, a new review —without the frenzy of said festival— allows a deeper appreciation of the story virtues.
The heart of the story is the relationship between Segundo, an Ayacucho born-teenager played by Junior Bejar Roca, and his father Noe, a retablo artist portrayed by Amiel Cayo.
They both live in a bucolic but poor place under the care of the family matriarch.
Nevertheless, Segundo —destined to replace his father— is undergoing a sexual awakening.
Being more aware of this human aspect will signify the end of innocence and of a fanciful relationship with his father. The homophobia and discrimination against people of different sexual orientation appear in the previously peaceful place.
Most of the film tries to imitate the aesthetic of a retablo —the truck hopper, the door and window frames, and the hillside grotto—, which is an ingenious plastic resource.
The best scenes feature the main pair and, eventually, Segundo and his best friend.
The secondary characters are not well developed. Magaly Solier's lines, except one —"you are not going to be a peasant"— do not fit with the rest of the plot.
Call for tolerance
Retablo makes an urgent call for tolerance and respect for diversity. It explores Andean communities' life, art, and cultural heritage, as well as love and violence —the cause of intolerance.
Segundo Paucar follows —with admiration— the work of his father, a retablo artist (played by Amiel Cayo), who mentors him in the retablo's universe by sharing his knowledge so that he can carry on the family legacy.
Antonia —played by Peruvian actress and singer Magaly Solier— is Segundo's proud mother and the person that keeps the family united until an unexpected event disturbs the harmony at home.
About the production
Retablo is a Peruvian-German-Norwegian co-production. The film was one of the five projects selected in 2013 by renowned laboratory at Sundance Film Festival —chaired by actor Robert Redford— where Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio was provided artistic and technical advice.
The production has received 23 awards at the most important film festivals in Toronto, Berlin, La Habana, San Francisco, New York, Bilbao, Madrid, Sydney, Switzerland, Sweden, Vancouver, Chicago, Ukraine, and Houston, among others.