La Sierra
by Margarita Martinez, Scott Dalton (II)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Cielo Muñoz, Edison Flores, Jesús MartÃnez (III)Director: Margarita Martinez, Scott Dalton (II)
Brand: First RUN Features
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 84 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-20
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: FIRST RUN FEATURES
Movie Reviews of La Sierra
Movie Review: Three Young Lives In A Crime Ridden Medellin Neighborhood
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife is originally from Ecuador and has good friends in Colombia. So far I have visited the country three times and have developed considerable affection and admiration for its people, the majority of whom of are honest, good hearted, law abiding citizens.
Like all of Latin America there is still considerable poverty in Colombia and a criminal element who attempt to make money by any means necessary. But what makes Colombia uniquely dangerous is its huge involvement in narco-trafficking, especially cocaine, and the civil war that is still being conducted between the government and the narco guerrilla groups.
This film focuses on three young people. Edison, who serves as a leader for the Bloque Metro, Jesus, a spaced out cokehead who sees no future for himself, and Cielo, a girl of only 17 who is already a mother, a widow and with a new boyfriend in jail. It struck me how sweet and good natured these kids seemed to be despite all the violence that they were surrounded by and participating in. Their personalities seemed almost the opposite of the proudly brutal, vulgar, and arrogant thugs usually associated with gang life in the United States.
One aspect that was different about these Colombian kids is that they didn't seem to view themselves so much as self-centered criminals but rather as war combatants. In this case, they were siding with the Colombian para-miltaries in an attempt to protect their neighborhood from the ELN guerillas.
To put these events in context, violent conflict between liberals and conservatives has divided Colombia throughout it's history. In the 1960's several Communist guerilla movements formed. The largest of the guerilla groups is FARC, though ELN is also a significant player. But nowadays these guerillas groups are fueled less by ideology than the billions of dollars available through narco-trafficking. The right wing para-miltaries are also involved in the drug business and, with so much money at stake, violence between these rival groups is constant. So poor kids from the barrios of Medellin and elsewhere are used as pawns and foot soldiers.
This film doesn't explain much about the political context. But it does provide a very real and human face to demonstrate the suffering caused by this drug money fueled conflict. The movie is full of action and close up scenes that transport the viewer, almost like being a resident of the neighborhood just hanging out with these kids. The beautiful country of Colombia and it's kind, hard working people deserve better. Unfortunately, I see no end in sight as long as the drug busines is driven underground by this idiotic "War On Drugs".
Summary of La Sierra
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