Un Traductor (A Translator) 2018
Distributed by Film Movement
Produced by Sebastián Barriuso, Travis Farncombe, and Lindsay Gossling
Directed by Rodrigo Barriuso and Sebastián Barriuso
Streaming, 107 mins
College - General Adult
Cancer; History; Politics
Date Entered: 01/29/2021
Reviewed by Ray Boucher, Lecturer of Theater and Film (SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Geneseo, GCC, NCCC) and actorUn Traductor is set in Cuba in 1989 and follows a professor of Russian Literature as he is unexpectedly reassigned to translate in a hospital cancer ward housing victims of the Chernobyl disaster. The exceptional ensemble is led by Rodrigo Santoro, whom we follow through a harrowing journey as he deftly navigates the protagonist's coming to grips with the horrors of the hospital, the crumbling of the Cuban economy, and the near dissolution of his family life.
The Barriuso brothers establish the passage of time elegantly and the film is beautifully shot and delicately told. The film itself is enlightening and heartrending. There are so many layers of humanity at play, and the camera peels back those layers with frankness and honesty. Ultimately, Un Traductor is a gorgeous homage to the filmmakers' own parents, the main characters of this true story.
Awards:
Winner: Audience Award: Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) 2019; Winner: Best Feature: Seattle Latino Film Festival 2018; Winner: Best Director: Shanghai International Film Festival 2018; Winner: Audience Award: Trieste Festival of Latin-American Cinema 2018; Winner: Best Film of Central America and the Caribbean: International Film Festival of Panama (IFF Panama) 2019
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