Guido Models

Guido Fuentes, who lives in Buenos Aires, is a one-man design firm and modeling agency. From his humble apartment in the low-income district of Villa 31, the Bolivian immigrant designs dresses and puts on fashion shows at public markets and town squares. He calls his line Guido Models and through his shows he aims to present Villa 31 in a positive light. As he sees it, "Success for one means success for all of us." His efforts have earned him appearances on the radio, TV, and now in this documentary by filmmaker Julieta Sans. In the film, he sketches designs, shops for fabric, stitches garments by hand, and teaches his models how to walk down a runway. Sans also follows Guido's two favorite models, Sonia León and Delia Cáceres, as they attend school, get tattoos, and spend time with their families. The trio take a trip to Bolivia, where Guido recruits local models through a free workshop and stages a fashion show. It's clear that moneymaking isn't Guido's primary aim, but Sans fails to include any financial information about how he earns income or whether he pays his models. She also avoids any clues to his personal life, including his age and educational background (he appears to be single, but there's no mention of his marital status or sexual orientation). Unintentionally or not, this paucity of detail shifts the focus from Guido to Sonia and Delia, who emerge as more fully-rounded individuals. An uneven but often interesting documentary, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)