MONTREAL: COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILITARY COUP THAT OVERTHREW SALVADOR ALLENDE

Main events to be held in Montreal on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the coup d'état in Chile (September 11, 1973)

(In chronological order)

SALVADOR ALLENDE CUP (Soccer Tournement)

August 26, September 2, 3 and 4, from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Villeray Park 8000, rue de Normanville (corner Christophe-Colomb)

The sports family reunites to commemorate 50 years of Chilean community presence in Quebec. Through a friendly soccer tournament for 35 year-olds and 50 year-olds and over, and a series of sporting and cultural activities for seniors and children (dance, games, drawings), we'll bring back to life the Salvador Allende Cup and the Chilean Soccer League, which brought together families, artists, the Latin American community and the host society.   Participating teams:  50+ category: Colo Colo, Deportivo Chile, Los Compadres, Resto Chile, Club Pelotillehue and Quinta Región 35 years and over category: Latinos F.C., Chile Brossard, Arcoiris and Caupolicán

ART EXHIBITION: Immigration and Exile   From September 7 to 17, 2023, the visual arts exhibition will present artists' works in a variety of techniques and with a free theme inspired by Immigration and Exile. It will reveal a moment of emotion and inspiration over the past 50 years since their arrival.   The vernissage will take place on Thursday, September 7, and the closing evening on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at Atelier Galerie 2112.   This artistic activity will foster an exchange enriched by color and history, through the bicultural trajectory of Chileans integrated into this welcoming land.  Immigration and Exile commemorates Salvador Allende and Chilean heritage in Canada. This activity will be directed by Marisol Vera and curated by Carolina Echeverria.

DOCUMENTARY FILMS   September 8:   Salvador Allende Gossens: A Testimony by Maurice Bulbulian, Michel Gauthier /1974/ 18 min   The Wealth of Others Maurice Bulbulian, Michel Gauthier/1973/1 h 34 min A film of social struggle drawing a parallel between the exploitation of miners and mining wealth in Quebec and a similar situation in Chile. The injustices done to the people and countries concerned.   September 15:   Chile, la memoria obstinada Patricio Guzmán /1997/ 58 min   La cueca sola Marilú Mallet/2003/52 min   The Latina Family Gérmán Gutiérrez/1986/56 min   LOCATION Écomusée du fier monde, 2050 Atateken St.

September 9:   CENTRAL EVENT IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUP D'ÉTAT   Date: September 9 Time: 7:00 p.m.   Contact: Asociación de Chilenos de Quebec Telephone: 514 825 7678 E-mail: assochiquebec.production@gmail.com   LOCATION Amphitheatre (SH-2800) UQAM 200 rue Sherbrooke Ouest

September 9 to October 1 A THOUSAND FLOWERS FOR ALLENDE Flower-making workshops led by two Chilean and one Canadian artist twice a week for three weeks to encourage residents to collect 1000 flowers for Allende. September 9: 1:00-3:00 p.m September 13: 5:00-7:00 p.m. September 24: 1:00-3:00 p.m September 27: 5:00-7:00 p.m. October 1: 1:00-3:00 p.m. Écomusée du Fier Monde 2050 Atateken St.

INTERFAITH SERVICE Sunday, September 10, 2023 – 12 noon 110 Ste. Catherine East

September 10 at 7 p.m For 50 years, a long list of Chilean musicians continued the resistance from afar. Concerts, festivals, demonstrations and fund-raising events kept Quebec musicians busy. The music of Violeta Parra, Victor Jara and so many others was played and loved on this cold side of the planet. Chilean culture has been shared with the host society, and hope, idealism and the vision of a just society have been a constant source of inspiration. This September 10 at 7 p.m., artists from Quebec, Chile, the native world and other cultures will present : Réveillon nos rêves: les chiliens de Montréal 50 ans déjà. Location: Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve 4200 Ontario St. east

September 11, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm.   50th Anniversary Vigil 10:00 Tribute to Salvador Allende 1:00-2:00 p.m. Violinist of La Pintana Youth Orchestra, Valeria Campillán 2:30 p.m. Pianist Sebastián Verdugo 3:30 p.m. Carmen Pavez   Parc des Amériques, corner Saint Laurent and Rachel in Montréal

September 11   POLITICAL AND CULTURAL EVENT: THE TREE OF MEMORY Time: 6:00 pm ORGANIZED BY CENTRO CULTURAL ARAUCARIA              Telephone: +1 514 929 6344 LOCATION Parc Jeanne Mance 4422 Esplanade Ave.

September 11   HOMAGE TO SALVADOR ALLENDE   Date: September 11 Time: 7: 00 p.m.     ORGANIZED BY CELASA: Salvador Allende Centre for Latin American Studies Audiovisual presentation, a tribute to Salvador Allende, and presentation of the Chilean folk group Lemunantú   Auditorium of the Grande Bibliothèque Free Admission   475 boul. De Maisonneuve East (Metro Berri-UQAM)

October 6 & 8: Literary event "Words and Pains of Exile: 50 years of Chilean literature".   Chilean writers commemorate Salvador Allende and the Chilean heritage in Canada at L'ÉCOMUSÉE DU FIER MONDE (2050 Atateken St.)

October 11 & 15: Don't Forget Me CREATIVE WORKSHOPS October 11 from 5pm to 7pm and   October 15 from 1pm to 3pm   Led by the Collective Crear Poder Popular  (Create People's Power)   Écomusée du Fier Monde   2050 Atateken St.

FIREWORKS 2023

Chronicle by Sergio Martinez

This year's edition of the International Fireworks Festival, sponsored by Loto Québec and held at La Ronde amusement park, came to an end on August 10. It is an event that enjoys high popularity because it can be seen —free of charge— from many other places; in fact, the Jacques Cartier bridge was closed to traffic every night of the fireworks show so that thousands of people could follow the event from there.

For the first time, one of the shows had to be cancelled because, due to the forest fires that affected the province at the end of June, a large amount of smoke impacted the air quality in Montreal. Incidentally, it was not considered advisable to add more particles that could have a negative impact on the city's atmosphere. All the rest of the presentations did take place without major problems.

In this competition, the quality of the pyrotechnic display, the synchronization between the music and the fireworks, and the technical execution of the presentation are taken into account to evaluate the shows.

The awards for the best presentations were as follows:

Golden Jupiter (First Prize): Finland (Joho Pyro).

Silver Jupiter (Second Prize): United States (Rozzi Fireworks)

Bronze Jupiter (Third Prize): Portugal (Macedos Pirotecnia LDA)

LOS FUEGOS ARTIFICIALES 2023

Crónica de Sergio Martínez

El 10 de agosto llegó a su fin la edición de este año del Festival Internacional de Fuegos Artificiales, auspiciado por Loto Québec y que tiene lugar en el parque de diversiones La Ronde. Se trata de un evento que goza de alta popularidad ya que además puede verse—gratuitamente—desde muchos otros lugares, no es necesario comprar billetes para verlo, en los hechos el puente Jacques Cartier era cerrado al tráfico cada noche de espectáculo pirotécnico para que miles de personas se instalaran y siguieran el evento desde allí.

Por primera vez, una de las presentaciones debió cancelarse debido a que, por los incendios forestales que afectaron a la provincia a fines de junio, una gran cantidad de humo afectó la calidad del aire en Montreal. Por cierto, no se consideró aconsejable entonces, agregar más partículas que podían incidir negativamente en la atmósfera de la ciudad. Todo el resto de las presentaciones sí tuvieron lugar sin mayor problema.

En esta competencia se toman en cuenta para evaluar los espectáculos, la calidad del despliegue pirotécnico, la sincronización entre la música y los fuegos, y la ejecución técnica de la presentación.

Los premios a las mejores presentaciones fueron los siguientes:

Júpiter de Oro (Primer Premio):  Finlandia (Joho Pyro)

Júpiter de Plata (Segundo Premio): Estados Unidos (Rozzi Fireworks)

Júpiter de Bronce (Tercer Premio): Portugal (Macedos Pirotecnia LDA)

MOVIES IN LA PLAZA: OPPENHEIMER—THE BOMB AND POLITICS

Commentary by Sergio Martínez

When a film lasts three hours, the story must be very good to deserve all that time in front of the big screen. Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, certainly meets those requirements. One might even say that there was still historical material for a few extra minutes: the time after he became the subject of U.S. Senate investigations, his commitment to the cause of peace and his rehabilitation under President Kennedy. However, we must stick to what Nolan and the two other authors of the screenplay, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, wanted to highlight, Robert Oppenheimer's academic career, his sympathies for left-wing causes –he supported the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, for example— his theoretical and instrumental role in the creation of the first atomic bomb and the investigation to which he was subjected by the U.S. Senate, for his alleged "communist sympathies".

Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) stands out from the beginning for his extraordinary intelligence and skills in mastering physics. In 1927 he obtained a doctorate in physics from the University of Göttingen in Germany, where he studied with Max Born, an eminence in quantum mechanics. Back in the United States, he increasingly focused on studies that led him to explore the dynamics of the smallest: the world of atoms.

Along with his academic work, he manifests his interest in political issues, like many on university campuses at that time, the decade of the 30s. The Civil War in Spain and the rise of fascism worried the progressive sectors because of the effects they could have on the world. This interest in political issues will also lead him to more immediate interests: in one of these activities, he meets Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), a Communist Party member who will become his lover for a while.

When he marries, his wife Kitty (Emily Blunt) also has connections with the Left, although she is no longer in the Communist Party. There is some humour in the first meeting between the two; Oppenheimer asks her, "Are you married?" to which she replies, "Not very much." Later, before initiating a more intimate moment, she had asked him to explain quantum mechanics to him, "Well, this glass, this drink, the countertop...uh, our bodies, all this...it's mostly empty space. Groupings of tiny waves of energy bound them together," the physicist replies. "By what?" she asks him, "by forces of attraction strong enough to convince us that...matter is solid, to prevent my body from passing through yours..." he replies as he takes her hand.

The development of the atomic bomb is a moment of drama very well described; the production of the atomic bomb created for all the scientists involved in the Manhattan Project pressing ethical dilemmas: it was clear that such a weapon of mass destruction would "kill the just and the unjust" as one of the scientists who would object to the idea points out. Oppenheimer himself had his doubts as well, but at the time, there were strong pressures to end the war once and for all and "bring our boys back home", as some justified.

Even in terms of physical science, there was some doubt. Since this process by which such an enormous amount of energy would be unleashed had never been put into practice, there were those who believed that the explosion of the bomb (the first test was in the New Mexico desert in July 1945) could produce a total ignition of the atmosphere; in short, the destruction of the world. General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon), the military supervisor of the project, asks Oppenheimer: "Are you saying that when we push that button, there is a chance that we will destroy the world?" To which the scientist replies: "The chances are near zero". Groves, exasperated, says: "Near zero?" to which Oppenheimer replies: "What do you want from theory alone?" "Zero would be nice!" the general finishes saying.

A single bomb would certainly not destroy the world, although the two that were dropped on Japan to achieve its surrender were sufficiently devastating. Moreover, even at that time, the manufacture of a bomb several times more powerful –the hydrogen bomb— was being studied. Oppenheimer opposed going down that road, arguing that its use would cause even greater carnage and be unnecessary.

This stance against the development of the hydrogen bomb would later be used in Senate hearings to discredit Oppenheimer. The film nicely interweaves scenes from those Senate investigating committee hearings –mostly in black and white— with scenes of the bomb's development and other moments in Oppenheimer's life. It also reveals foul play on the part of other academics and scientists, particularly Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), who led the attacks on the father of the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer is a highly recommendable film, not only for the interesting focus on the events surrounding the manufacture of the first atomic bomb but also for the in-depth look it offers us of a man who –like everyone— had contradictions and moral dilemmas to face, but whose contribution to the history of the 20th century is undeniable. Cillian Murphy portrays his character very well, seeming to convey much of him, even in his moments of silence, just by his face that seems inscrutable in the face of the dilemmas he faces.

Running time: 180 min.

CINE EN LA PLAZA: OPPENHEIMER—LA BOMBA Y LA POLÍTICA

Comentario de Sergio Martínez

Cuando un film dura tres horas la historia debe ser muy buena como para merecer todo ese tiempo frente a la gran pantalla. Oppenheimer, dirigido por Christopher Nolan ciertamente reúne esos requisitos. Incluso uno podría decir que aun había material histórico para unos cuantos minutos extras: el tiempo transcurrido después de ser sujeto a investigaciones por el Senado de Estados Unidos, su cometido a la causa de la paz y su rehabilitación en tiempos del Presidente Kennedy. Sin embargo, hay que atenerse a lo que Nolan y los dos otros autores del guión, Kai Bird y Martin Sherwin quisieron destacar, la trayectoria académica de Robert Oppenheimer, sus simpatías por causas de la Izquierda—apoyo al bando republicano en la Guerra Civil española, por ejemplo— su rol tanto teórico como instrumental en la creación de la primera bomba atómica y la investigación a la que fue sometido por parte del Senado de Estados Unidos, por sus presuntas “simpatías comunistas”.

Cillian Murphy como Robert Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) se destaca desde un comienzo por su extraordinaria inteligencia y sus habilidades en el dominio de la física. En 1927 él había obtenido un doctorado en física de la Universidad de Göttingen en Alemania, allí había estudiado con quien era una eminencia en mecánica cuántica, Max Born. De regreso en Estados Unidos se va enfocando crecientemente en estudios que lo llevan a explorar la dinámica de lo más pequeño: el mundo de los átomos.

Junto a su quehacer académico, manifiesta su interés en temas políticos, como muchos en los campus universitarios de ese momento, la década de los 30. La Guerra Civil en España y el auge del fascismo preocupan a los sectores progresistas por los efectos que pueden tener para el mundo. Ese interés en la problemática política lo llevará también a intereses más inmediatos: en una de esas actividades conoce a Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), militante del Partido Comunista quien se convertirá en su amante por un tiempo.

Cuando se casa, su mujer Kitty (Emily Blunt) también tenía conexiones con la Izquierda, aunque ya no militaba en el Partido Comunista. Hay algo de humor en el primer encuentro entre ambos, Oppenheimer le pregunta: “¿Estás casada?” a lo que ella responde, “No mucho”. Más tarde, antes de iniciar un momento más íntimo ella le había pedido explicarle lo de la mecánica cuántica: “Bueno, este vaso, este trago, el mesón…uh, nuestros cuerpos, todo esto… es mayormente espacio vacío. Agrupamientos de pequeñísimas ondas de energía los mantienen juntos”, le responde el físico. “¿Cómo? ¿De qué modo?” le pregunta ella, “por fuerzas de atracción suficientemente poderosas para convencernos de que… la materia es sólida, para impedir que mi cuerpo pase a través del tuyo…” le responde mientras le toma mano.

El desarrollo de la bomba atómica es un momento de drama muy bien descrito, la producción de la bomba atómica creaba para todos los científicos implicados en el Proyecto Manhattan algunos acuciantes dilemas éticos: era evidente que esa arma de destrucción masiva “mataría a justos e injustos” como señala uno de los científicos que objetaría a la idea. Oppenheimer mismo tenía sus dudas también, pero en ese momento había fuertes presiones para dar fin a la guerra de una vez por todas y “traer a nuestros muchachos de vuelta a casa” como justificaban algunos.

Incluso en términos de la ciencia física había ciertas dudas. Como nunca se había puesto en práctica este proceso por el que se desataría tan enorme monto de energía, había quienes creían que el estallido de la bomba (la primera prueba fue en el desierto de New Mexico, en julio de 1945) podría producir una ignición total de la atmósfera; en buenas cuentas, la destrucción del mundo. El general Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) supervisor militar del proyecto le pregunta a Oppenheimer: “¿Estás diciendo que cuando apriete ese botón hay posibilidades de que nosotros destruyamos el mundo?” A lo que el científico le responde: “Las posibilidades son cercanas a cero”. Groves exasperado dice: “¿Cercanas a cero?” a lo que Oppenheimer replica: “¿Qué quieres de la pura teoría?” “Cero hubiera sido sido bueno” termina diciendo el general.

Una sola bomba por cierto no destruiría el mundo, aunque las dos que fueron lanzadas sobre Japón para lograr su rendición fueron suficientemente devastadoras. Por lo demás, ya en ese tiempo se estudiaba la fabricación de una bomba varias veces más potente—la bomba de hidrógeno. Oppenheimer se había opuesto a ir por ese camino, arguyendo que su uso causaría una mortandad aun mucho mayor, sería innecesaria.

Esta postura contra el desarrollo de la bomba de hidrógeno sería luego utilizada en las audiencias del Senado para desacreditar a Oppenheimer. El film entrelaza muy bien las escenas de esas comparecencias ante la comisión investigadora senatorial—principalmente en blanco y negro—con las escenas del desarrollo de la bomba y otros momentos en la vida Oppenheimer. También deja traslucir las jugadas sucias de parte de otros académicos y científicos, en particular de Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), quien lideró los ataques contra el padre de la bomba atómica.

Oppenheimer es una película altamente recomendable, no sólo por la interesante visión de los hechos que rodearon la fabricación de la primera bomba atómica, sino además por la mirada en profundidad que nos ofrece de un hombre que—como todos—tuvo contradicciones y dilemas morales que enfrentar, pero cuyo aporte a la historia del siglo 20 es innegable. Cillian Murphy retrata muy bien a su personaje, pareciendo transmitir mucho de él, incluso en sus momentos de silencio, sólo por su rostro que parece inescrutable frente a los dilemas que enfrentaría.

Duración: 180 min.

MOVIES IN LA PLAZA: THE "BARBIE" PHENOMENON

Movie Review by Sergio Martínez

During and in the months following the pandemic, it was evident that the crisis affecting the movie exhibition industry was deepening. Obviously, the pandemic had reduced the number of moviegoers in theatres; on the other hand, streaming platforms, such as Netflix, were gaining popularity.

The release of a new instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise was seen by some film-market analysts as the salvation of the film industry. But, lo and behold, it was not the car chases or the risky manoeuvres of agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) that caused an explosion in movie theatre box offices, but the fantastic comings and goings of a doll-we are referring, by the way, to Barbie-that brought people back to the movie theatres en masse, at least in this boreal summer.

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, has been not only a commercial success but it can also be said that --despite the prejudiced view that many may have of the character— it is a film with a well-articulated story, an interesting plot and actors and actresses who deliver convincing performances.

In its introduction, the film alludes to what we can call "the Barbie phenomenon", that is, the change in the relationship between girls and dolls that occurred after the introduction of Barbie in the market in the 1950s (in the United States and North America in general, in the rest of the world it would only reach the toy market in the last decades of the last century). In fact, before Barbie, girls played with dolls representing babies. Thus, from an early age, women were socialized for an essentially maternal role. Barbie, on the other hand, being a grown woman and also very beautiful, breaks with this image of the feminine toy. By playing with Barbie, girls no longer "train" themselves to take care of their future babies but rather project themselves as they would like to be, obviously beautiful, wearing pretty dresses and enjoying the company of a handsome boyfriend.

The stereotypical Barbie (and in the film, the original Barbie played by Margot Robbie, makes it present several times) reflected an ideal typically representative of a middle and upper-class white race; however, the company that created the doll, Mattel, would soon have a great idea and that is reflected in the premise of the film: women, with the rise of feminism and its incorporation into labour fields traditionally dominated by men, also required that these new roles were reflected in popular culture. Barbie then, from being a mere representation of a superficial "bimbo" and only concerned with her appearance, becomes a doctor, lawyer, astronaut, and engineer; in short, the fields were now unlimited. She also diversifies racially and ethnically.

Is Barbie a feminist film? That depends on how that ideological conception is understood, and it is difficult to give a categorical answer without entering a complex debate, which is not the purpose of this article.  In the beginning, we see Barbie and the other Barbies in their predictable fantasy world; we also find there her boyfriend, Ken (Ryan Gosling), who, like the other male characters in the story, does not show great brilliance. In this, the director, who is also the screenwriter together with Noah Baumbach, follows a long-standing tradition in film and television in which women (wives, mothers and even mothers-in-law) were often smarter than men. Recall series such as I Love Lucy, in which Lucy routinely got what she wanted despite her husband's objections, or The Flintstones, where Vilma showed better judgment than Fred. It can be said that, in a male-dominated society, popular culture, especially through television and cartoons, instead gave women an act of revenge, placing them as the ones who, in the end, put some order and rationality in everyday life. It is also the premise in Barbie, with the difference that now women are taking steps to take more decisive roles in society.

It is precisely what triggers the dramatic conflict in the film's plot: an unexpected event that alters Barbie's life and self-perception leads her to find out how to solve the problem. The answer she receives surprises her but does not discourage her: she must move from her fantasy world to the real world. There begins her adventure, in which, not to be outdone, her boyfriend Ken joins her.

Barbie's foray into the real world --she appears in Los Angeles— unleashes new problems, apart from the natural misunderstandings between the characters-dolls and real humans. Of the latter, Barbie must find one who played with her as a child, Gloria (America Ferrera), whose daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) wants nothing to do with the famous doll. The doll's presence in the real world is also a problem for Mattel, Barbie's manufacturer. A hilarious chase ensues here: the firm's chief executive (Will Ferrell) will feverishly try to put Barbie back in her packaging. (To Mattel's credit, this must be the first time that the very firm co-producing the film appears as the villain of the story.)

Barbie may or may not be an icon of feminism (at least in North America), but it is a film worth seeing, if possible, in the company of your daughters, granddaughters or young nieces. The plot of the film develops well, except for some parts that become somewhat repetitive when the characters arrive in Los Angeles; the pink scenic design of Barbie's fantasy world is a success. Very good performances by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Running time: 114 min.

CINE EN LA PLAZA: EL FENÓMENO “BARBIE”

Comentario de Sergio Martínez

Durante y en los meses posteriores a la pandemia, fue evidente que la crisis que afectaba a la industria de la exhibición de películas se ahondaba. Obviamente la pandemia había mermado la afluencia de público a las salas, por otro lado, las plataformas que ofrecían streaming, como Netflix, alcanzaban amplia popularidad.

El estreno de una nueva entrega de la franquicia Misión Imposible fue visto por algunos analistas del mercado cinematográfico, como la tabla de salvación de la industria exhibidora. Pero, he aquí que no han sido las persecuciones automovilísticas ni las arriesgadas maniobras del agente Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) las que han provocado una explosión en las taquillas de las salas de cine, sino las fantásticas idas y venidas de una muñeca—nos referimos, por cierto, a Barbie—las que han hecho volver a la gente en masa a las salas de cine, por lo menos en este verano boreal.

Barbie, dirigida por Greta Gerwig y teniendo en el rol protagónico a Margot Robbie, ha sido no sólo un éxito comercial sino además puede decirse que—a pesar de la visión prejuiciada que muchos puedan tener respecto del personaje—es una película con una historia bien articulada, una trama interesante y con actores y actrices que entregan una convincente actuación.

El film en su introducción alude a lo que podemos llamar “el fenómeno Barbie”, es decir ese cambio en la relación entre niñas y muñecas que ocurre a partir de la introducción de Barbie en el mercado en los años 50 (en Estados Unidos y Norteamérica en general, en el resto del mundo llegaría al mercado de los juguetes sólo en las últimas décadas del siglo pasado). En efecto, antes de Barbie, las chicas jugaban con muñecas que representaban bebés. De ese modo, desde chiquitas las mujeres iban siendo socializadas para un rol esencialmente maternal. Barbie, en cambio, siendo una mujer ya formada, además muy bella, rompe con esa imagen del juguete femenino. Al jugar con Barbie, las chicas ya no “se adiestran” para cuidar de sus futuros bebés, sino que más bien se proyectan a como ellas quisieran ser, evidentemente bellas, poseedoras de lindos vestidos y además disfrutando de la compañía de un novio buenmozo.

La estereotípica Barbie (y en la película la Barbie original encarnada por Margot Robbie, lo hace presente varias veces), reflejaba un ideal típicamente representativo de una clase media y alta,  de raza blanca; sin embargo, la empresa creadora de la muñeca, Mattel, pronto tendría una genial idea y que se trasunta en la premisa del film: las mujeres, con el auge del feminismo y su incorporación a campos laborales tradicionalmente dominados por hombres, también requerían que esos nuevos roles se reflejaran en la cultura popular. Barbie entonces, de ser una mera representación de una “bimbo” superficial y sólo preocupada de su apariencia, se convierte, en médica, abogada, astronauta, ingeniera, en fin, los ámbitos ahora eran ilimitados. También se diversifica racial y étnicamente.

¿Es Barbie un film feminista? Eso depende de cómo se entienda esa concepción ideológica y es difícil dar una respuesta categórica sin entrar en un complejo debate, lo que no es el propósito de esta nota.  En el comienzo vemos a Barbie y a las otras Barbies en su previsible mundo de fantasía, también encontramos allí a su novio, Ken (Ryan Gosling), que, como los otros personajes masculinos en la historia, no muestran gran brillantez. En esto la directora, que es también la guionista junto a Noah Baumbach, sigue una arraigada tradición tanto del cine como de la televisión en que las mujeres (esposas, madres e incluso suegras) suelen ser más avispadas que los varones. Recuérdese series como I Love Lucy, en que Lucy habitualmente conseguía lo que quería a pesar de las objeciones de su marido; o Los Picapiedras, donde Vilma mostraba mejor juicio que Pedro. Se puede decir que, en una sociedad dominada por hombres, la cultura popular a través especialmente de la televisión y las historietas, en cambio daba una revancha a las mujeres, colocándolas como las que al final ponían un poco de orden y racionalidad. Es también la premisa en Barbie, con la diferencia que ahora sí las mujeres están dando pasos para tomar roles más decisivos en la sociedad.

Es precisamente lo que desata el conflicto dramático en la trama de la película: un inesperado evento que altera la vida y autopercepción de Barbie, la lleva a averiguar cómo resolver el problema. La respuesta que recibe la sorprende, pero no la amilana: debe trasladarse desde su mundo de fantasía al mundo real. Allí empieza su aventura, en la cual, para no ser menos, se sumará su novio Ken.

La incursión de Barbie en el mundo real—aparece en Los Ángeles—desata nuevos problemas, aparte de los naturales malentendidos entre los personajes-muñecos y humanos reales. De todos estos últimos, Barbie debe encontrar a una que jugó con ella cuando chica, Gloria (América Ferrera) cuya hija Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) en cambio no quiere saber nada de la famosa muñeca. La presencia de la muñeca en el mundo real es también un problema para Mattel, la fabricante de Barbie. Se produce aquí una hilarante persecución en que el ejecutivo principal de la firma (Will Ferrell) tratará febrilmente de colocar de nuevo a Barbie en su embalaje. (Para crédito de Mattel, esta debe ser la primera vez en que la propia firma que coproduce el film aparece como villana de la historia).

Barbie puede o puede no ser un ícono del feminismo (al menos en Norteamérica) pero en cualquier caso se trata de una película que vale la pena ver, en lo posible en compañía de sus hijas, nietas o sobrinas pequeñas. El film tiene una trama que se desarrolla bien, excepto por algunas partes que se hacen un tanto repetitivas cuando los personajes llegan a Los Ángeles, el diseño escenográfico color rosa del mundo fantástico de Barbie es un acierto. Muy buena actuación de Margot Robbie y Ryan Gosling.

Duración: 114 min.

MOVIES IN LA PLAZA: THE BEST AND THE WORST OF THE FANTASIA FESTIVAL

Commentary by Sergio Martínez

The 27th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival took place between July 20 and August 9. Originally focused on horror productions from Asia, the festival has diversified its genres and the origin of the films exhibited. Its first vocation, however, has not been completely abandoned: horror, science fiction and fantasy continue to be its main source of inspiration, with a solid and always interesting selection of animated films.

Traditionally, the selection of films in Fantasia is quite eclectic: there are some films of great quality, especially those originating in Japan or South Korea, while the American selection fluctuates between works by young directors who display the best of their talent in low-budget productions, while others fall into the category of what used to be known as "B-movies", that is, films without many pretensions that completed the double programs in the matinees.

THE BEST

This is the list in this reviewer's opinion.

Kurayukaba: the best at Fantasia

1. Kurayukaba (Director: Shigeyoshi Tsukahara, Japan). An animated film that combines fantastic elements with an interesting vision of the city and its hidden and obscure places. This is the story of private detective Sotaro and his companion Saki who take a job despite the risks it will have. Remarkable animation work with exuberant scenes makes this film the best of the festival.

2. Sand Land (Dir. Toshihisa Yokoshima, Japan). Also, an animated film that combines adventure and action. In a world where humans have ruined the environment, water has become a scarce and precious resource. Humans and demons must join forces to regain access to the vital element.

Sand Land is also a very
 good animation film

3. The Primevals (Dir. David Allen, USA).  An interesting and original approach to the legend of the Yeti, or "abominable snowman", leads a group of researchers into the Himalayas, where they will find more than what they were looking for.

4. The Fantastic Golem Affair (Dir. Juan González, Fernando Martínez, Spain). It can be considered somewhere between a fantasy full of absurd twists and a tribute to the tradition of silent films. An unusual accident that ends with the death of his friend David, in truth a golem, who falls from a building and breaks into a thousand pieces, leads Juan to start an investigation on his own. This will lead him to discover the dealings of a dark firm that manufactures the "golems".

Spain's The Fantastic Golem Affair:

5.  Phantom (Dir. Lee Hae-young, South Korea). This is a film of political intrigue but also of interaction between various characters placed under strong physical and psychological pressure. Set in 1930, when Japan administered Korea as a colony, the occupying authorities tried to dismantle a Korean resistance group led by the one known only as 'Phantom'. After an assassination attempt on a high-ranking official, Japanese authorities arrest five people they suspect may be the wanted 'Phantom'. Although there is a certain excess of action scenes at the end, the part about the relationships between the suspects makes this one of the good films seen at the festival.

Aporia: the risks of messing with time

6.  Aporia (Dir. Jared Moshé, USA) A new incursion into the ethical aspects that can bring an aspiration such as altering certain elements of time. Sophie (Judy Greer) finds her life devastated by the unexpected death of her husband in a car accident. This has also complicated her relationship with her teenage daughter (Faithe Herman). When her husband's friend and colleague (Payman Maadi), a brilliant physicist, tells her that he is working on a machine that can alter the course of events in the dimension of time and could "bring back" her husband's life, her first reaction is scepticism, but eventually, she accepts. However, no one considered other consequences of the bold move.

IN THE MIDDLE GROUND

Without being completely satisfactory, watching them was not a waste of time either; we can place these two very dissimilar films in theme, genre, and origin in this category.

1. The Concierge (Dir. Yoshimi Itazu, Japan). This is an animated film based on a manga by Tsuchika Nishimura, which is very popular in Japan. Akino is a young woman just starting her job as a concierge in a department store whose customers are all kinds of animals whose every demand must be met, no matter how absurd it may seem.

2. New Life (Dir. John Rosman, USA) Elements of horror and suspense are present in this film where in its first scene, we see young Jessica Murdock (Hayley Erin) desperately running away. In parallel, Elsa Gray (Sonya Walger) is contacted to locate and stop, by all means, the young woman. Only as the film progresses do we learn why Jessica is so eagerly sought by those who have paid Elsa to find her. Elsa, in turn, is confronted with her own condition in the form of an incurable disease that, in the short term, will prevent her from continuing to do her job.

THE WORST

1. Divinity (Dir. Eddie Alcazar, USA).  With Steven Soderbergh as executive producer, this film is a mix of sci-fi, dystopian fantasy and critique of corporate greed. Shot in black and white, with an atmosphere reminiscent of expressionist cinema for its contrasts of light and shadow, Divinity ultimately fails to convince either for its story or for the unconvincing performances of its actors. Two supposed extraterrestrial brothers (one, with Latin features, the other, Iranian) come to the headquarters of a pharmaceutical entrepreneur who has produced and markets a substance that assures eternal youth and everlasting life. There is also a group of damsels in white suits whose role is never clear. That's why, except for them, in the end, everyone, both the pharmaceutical entrepre
neur and the violent aliens, are the "bad guys in the movie".

Raging Grace: pretentious and not clear 
in its focus

2. Raging Grace (Dir. Paris Zarcilla, U.K.) Pretentious as story and premise. At times confusing and contradictory, this film presents the story of Joy, an undocumented Filipina (Max Eigenmann), who comes to work as a maid in a house where a man dying of cancer lives and is cared for by his cold-hearted niece. Joy must hide her daughter Grace (Jaeden Paige Boadilla), but the latter, being a mischievous girl who likes to wander into the nooks and crannies of the mansion, discovers certain secrets that quite implausibly connect with her. An attempt to combine a premise of anti-colonial denunciation with a horror story was poorly achieved.