Foreign films deserve more credit

Foreign films deserve more credit

by Vania Quiroz

Did you watch the Golden Globe Awards last Sunday? Well, I did, and though you may have not paid attention to the Foreign Language Film category, the Spanish film “Talk to Her” took home an award that it didn’t truly deserve.

The Mexican film, “The Crime of Father Amaro,” was nominated for this category as well, but no matter how extraordinary this movie is, it wasn’t going to get the award since a well-known Spanish director, Pedro Almodovar, had a film in the race.

“Talk to Her” is the name of Almodovar’s film that depicts the lives of two men who found themselves in almost the same circumstances, and how their lives related to each other. The film emphasizes the power of communication in every scene and how it can help or destroy our lives. In my opinion, it’s a very good film.

Nonetheless, it didn’t deserve the award.

Since it became known that “The Crime of Father Amaro” was being filmed, the Mexican press, organizations to protect morality, the media and the population turned their eyes to it. The script narrated the story of a young Catholic priest who made a teenage girl pregnant and how the clergy was tied at some point to drug dealers.

Big cities in Mexico witnessed marches and demonstrations in protest of this filming. Their argument was that it diminished the value of the sacraments and that it influenced people against the Roman Catholic religion.

I had the opportunity to watch both movies last December, and I must say “The Crime of Father Amaro” was the best pick. The acting was more natural and the characters seemed to be more real in “The Crime of Father Amaro” than in Almodovar’s film.

Besides, it pointed out a theme that had been in the front page of newspapers and in national television for several months -sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The movie approached the theme of celibacy from different perspectives and it makes you question the principles under which Catholicism is based upon.

The quality of this film is evident even though “The Crime of Father Amaro” didn’t win the Golden Globe award this year. However, it did win a place among international critics and that’s something can’t be denied.

Latin American films are not always recognized in the United States, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good. You don’t have to trust me, just rent the movie and broaden your choices. Foreign language films can be as good or even better than American productions.