The endless game

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Ana María Ferro and Daniela Coconubo are the directors of the experimental documentary 'lineage'. It's a super Colombian production that explores new possibilities in terms of language, narration and editing in just 15 minutes. The film is powerful because it presents a tragedy in a magical way. It also proposes experimentation at all levels of audiovisual creation. The violence that surrounds the whole essence of the Colombian being manages to be pleasantly impregnated in the short film, and thus the filmmakers deliver a neat cinematographic piece. All in all, we have a dreamy movie that turns into an elegant portrait of Colombian violence, a real portrait with a touch of fantasy that makes us fall in love, and the best thing is that it assumes its social responsibility and transcends into something much more poetic, romantic and heartbreaking at the same time.

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The opening is brutal and exciting, accompanied by sound effects that precede a dark plot. The introduction evokes terror, and, for a moment, Lynch's presence can be felt walking through the movie. It is worth noting the beauty of the shots of Colombian nature, which remind us of the importance of narrating from intimacy and the value of the micro-universes that surround the everyday lives of the characters. The beauty of nature contrasts with the horror of war, and this energetic struggle between the sublime and the grotesque is very characteristic of Colombian cinema.

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All good and all evil are part of the same truth. Darkness and light dance eternally between fascists and communists. War is an act of love, an act of complicity from the cosmic to the quantum. In war, it will always be a mistake to believe that we are absolutely right, and we can all choose which side to take. In this sense, the film confronts us with a personal discourse, intimate enough to connect artistically with the filmmakers, a discourse designed to show the evil power of violence, and so we immerse ourselves in the story while connecting with the pillar of any society, "the family". Personally, I don't think Colombia is a terrible place, yes, violent, like any corner of the firmament. History tells us of a mid-century conflict that, unfortunately, continues to beat in the hearts of its victims. In the 50's is the genesis of so much pain. Ana discovers a part of her grandmother's past that moves her deeply, and her artistic impulse takes her to the village. She arrives at the epicenter of the horror and discovers that it is now a haunted place. The ghosts of the war echo in her thoughts until she makes a decision based on love, because love is the only emotion that allows you to embrace it or to let it go.

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The investigation is underway, and the adventure of these young filmmakers is in full swing.

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This film is a passive entertainment, as if the melody of an old lullaby came to life in our inner child. The atmosphere is fantastic and eerie at the same time, and its cinematographic beauty contrasts with the heartbreaking testimony of Pastora Tovar, the protagonist of this story. Grandmothers are often the most tender people in the family nucleus. The bonds they form with their grandchildren are enormous. These relationships inevitably open forbidden doors, doors full of pain, doors that glow with pure violence. Ana says that the model of the film was built little by little, a precise investigative work that would bear fruit in the minds of the spectators, and I write this because I had this experience in front of me. In every story, in every narrative, there is an antagonist, someone who goes against justice without any remorse. In 'lineage', violence is appeased by a very important person of the time, a manhunter who dressed very elegantly, an elite man who always rejected liberal ideas. He was Laureano Eleuterio Gómez Castro, president of Colombia between August 7, 1950 and June 13, 1953. “the Monster” was one of the pseudonyms of this man who belonged to the conservative movement, a lover of control and a good friend of Franco's Spain. A great instigator and promoter of violence. This person carefully sowed hatred with his words, he also forged a solid idea that overwhelmed many who suffered in the midst of the confrontation, thus the tree of pain bore fruit and Colombia became a field of ideological, political and social experiments. All these tragic experiments raised the level of cruelty in an unspeakable way.

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Well-crafted statues of murderous demons are exalted in front of our very eyes, a brilliant yet terrifying form that shows us the true power of tyranny.

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In general, we are faced with a coherent and poetic project, an experience not to be taken lightly. It is obvious that it is not an entertaining product, nor would I dare to say that it is educational. I firmly believe that 'lineage' is a work that documents a sad reality, which then becomes an opportunity for the filmmakers to experiment, and so we get the result of 2 years of management, round, clean, complete, with an excess of soul that some may find cloying and that unfortunately lacks creative desire. This movie is a worthy representative of the Colombian experimental, but it could have been much more daring. Nevertheless, the short film pierces the heart and creates a magnetism towards the sad rural reality of many Colombians.

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It is worth mentioning the good musical work and the immersive sound design, which helps a lot to maintain the fantastic illusion of the short film. The sound environment immerses you in the story and gives a much more intense flavor to the audiovisual exercise. As for the editing, it seems to have simple explorations, but always in favor of the narrative. The important thing about the movie from a cinematographic point of view is its good execution. The imposed rhythm is precise, slow enough to appreciate the visual beauty and direct enough to keep the attention on the story at all times. I applaud the courage of the filmmakers who made the decision to move away from the industrial processes copied from Hollywood, they dared to try new ways of production, freer forms within filmmaking, and most importantly, they embraced their creative independence. The experimentation is present at all levels of 'lineage', the mysterious atmosphere and a well-placed narration leads us into a terrifying anecdote that reflects the painful reality of thousands of victims of the Colombian armed conflict, which, no matter which political front it comes from, always results in misfortune for the innocent Colombian, that hardworking Colombian who came to this world only to give love, that Colombian who gives everything for his sacred and precious land. The end of the root.

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The conclusion could be simple and just write that peace is possible, but the reality is that many unnecessary tragedies are part of the gigantic infinite chaos of existence. This film reminds us of a family story kept in the drawers of silence. Loss is the predominant feeling and sadness is just a consequence, which would eventually become a phantom memory. There are buried stories that are swallowed, that slowly consume the victims and the silence slowly turns into resignation, unofficial stories that seek to be told at all costs, a constant search for truth. It will never be easy for a filmmaker to learn to let go. Through cinematographic art we can rebuild bridges of dialogue, but it will also be inevitable to avoid painful memories. Obviously, this project is just the tip of the isberg of many equally terrifying stories, and this experience can be taken as a taste of the great problem. The film is beautiful, I remember how I was hypnotized by the beautiful shot of the bonfire, but also a part inside me felt that tempestuous terror that hit the inhabitants of Yacopí.

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