Bolivia

An illegal immigrant crosses the border to find work and is confronted by official red tape, police harassment, and social prejudice. It's a story that's told fairly frequently, with the difference in Adrian Caetano's film being that the central character is a Bolivian peasant, and the country he enters is Argentina. Freddy (Freddy Flores) gets a job in a rundown diner and bar in Buenos Aires, and it's in this small, shabby space that most of the action is set. Here, the owner squabbles with his regular customers over the tabs they've run up, and they complain about their perilous financial situations while drinking beer, eating sandwiches, and watching soccer matches or boxing on television. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan waitress is romanced by one of the cab drivers who frequent the place, but she seems to fancy Freddy, and although the latter calls home to talk with his wife and children, he's not entirely averse to her attention. There's a mood of quiet desperation underlying everything that happens in Bolivia, a feeling accentuated by the film's gritty black-and-white camerawork and cinéma véritJ style. Ultimately, Caetano suggests that Freddy's painful journey illustrates a vicious cycle impossible to escape. A profoundly sad film that never descends into mawkishness, Bolivia is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a four-minute deleted scene, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a powerful film.] (F. Swietek)