Movie Review: Huacho Toronto International Film Festival

Yesterday, my friend Eileen and I, watched the  Chilean drama “Huacho” at the Toronto International Film Festival also known as TIFF.

The ticket price was expensive $23 dollars for one ticket! Huacho is not the kind of film that will attract a mainstream audience.

Huacho setting is in Southern Chile. The plot deals with a peasant family that lives in the countryside. The movie is separated into four segments each section deals with one member of the family.

The pace of “Huacho” is very slow, but I felt empathy for this peasant family.

The young boy Manuel, he is ostracized from his peers because he is poor. Manuel wants to “belong”, but the other boys are cruel to him.

For instance, Manuel wants to play soccer but he is not picked to be on a team.

Next, Manuel asks if he can play a video game but the other boys make excuses to exclude him.

Manuel’s mother works in a restaurant but her boss is callous, she lectures her on “learning to maintain” a  checkbook.

The grandmother she sells cheese to tourists on the highway and works  long hours from sunrise to sunset.

Also, the grandfather he works in the fields all day long.

Although Chile is one of the most “developed” nations in South America, there is still disparity between the rich and the poor.

Huacho explores the struggles poor Chilean people, for example, the electricity is cut off  when  bill isn’t paid.

Huacho is an insightful film, it explores poverty in Chile.

However, Huacho is also very depressing, because it isn’t a conventional movie, there is no “happiness” in this film.

I wonder if the filmmakers behind Huacho obtained distribution?

Huacho is a good movie that deserves to reach a wider audience.