Institute History
Description
Throughout most of its film history, less than A handful of women directors have ever been able to work in Mexico. That makes the recent emergence of directors like Marla Novarro (Danzon) and Dana Rotberg (lntimidad) all the more surprising.
In Angel of Fire, Rotberg moves beyond the light sexual farce of her first film to paint a dark, even macabre portrait of Mexican society, built around the passions and obsessions of master filmmakers like Bunuel and Fellini. Alma is a thirteen-year-old trapeze artist in a small, down-and-out traveling circus, along with her father, with whom she shares a trailer and sometimes abed. When she becomes pregnant. the circus discards her, and she wanders the streets before joining an evangelist and her son, who perform plays from the Bible. Her redemption lies before her, but her trials and tribulations continue.
Rotberg's depiction of marginal life in Mexico is multilayered and vital. The detailed examination of sin and redemption creates a timeless world unique to the film. The artistry and insight of Angel of Fire illuminate its dark subject matter and compel us to reevaluate our own humanity, as well as that of others.
Friday Jen 22 4:15 pin
Holiday Village Cinema II
Saturday Jen 30 7:15 pm
Holiday Village Cinema II
$6.00