Reyno

This award-winning video portrait of an 11-year-old Nicaraguan boy named Reyno ostensibly aims to record the day-to-day activities of a young boy caught up in a web of violence and ignorance that he couldn't possibly understand. In actuality though, the film raises disturbing questions about the line which separates journalism from sensationalism. The filmmaker Peter Torbiornsson faithfully records Reyno as he plays, works, and wages war. He is shown having a special filmed-outside-of- class discussion with his teacher about his incomprehension over why his constantly absent butt has been booted out. He is shown playing big man with a gun that he doesn't even know how to use in actual skirmishes-and being questioned by a vulturish filmmaker concerning his feelings about "death." When Reyno's uncle is killed, Reyno's father drives to a neighboring village to retrieve the mother-but waits until he's in front of the camera again, back home, to tell her that her brother is dead. In the end, Reyno, who's always wanted to see the ocean, takes a trip. The film is subtitled. Larger libraries may want to preview this since it has won awards; frankly we can't understand how the juries could have overlooked the deeper ethical issues at work in the film. We cannot recommend it. (See ALCATRAZ: THE FINAL SENTENCE for availability.)