10 · 04 · 09

Alamar steals the hearts of the public

Clara Sánchez

Alamar is about an atypical family in which the Italian-born mother is ready to return to her country and take her son Natan with her. He is the son of Jorge, an ecologist, who lives In Banco Chichorro, Quintana Roo. It is a meeting of two worlds and two cultures whose point of interaction is Natan.

Director Pedro González Rubio arrived at the red carpet with actors Jorge Machado, who came dressed casually in bare feet, Roberta Palombini and Natán Machado Palombini.

González Rubio explained at a press conference that the film, which was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival, speaks about the simplicity of happiness. "It's a simple relationship about one of the oldest stories there is - the relationship between father and son," he said. "I look for the tenderness that exists in this father-son relationship."

The director said he met Jorge, the protagonist in the film, at the Ciankan Ecological Center, where Jorge worked. Afterwards, he met Natan, Jorge's son, and admired the relationship they had. "It is a very beautiful relationship, very loving, very close, with a lot of contact - things that those of us who live in cities have forgotten."

In relation to the genre, González Rubio said it was a true story with some elements of fiction. "Jorge's family is exactly as it is shown in the film. He lives in Chinchorro and Roberta in Playa del Carmen. I once asked myself what would happen if Roberta decided to return to Italy and wanted to take Natan with her."

The director explained that this film is a return to one's origins in every way. "We all come from the sea," he said. "It is a return to our roots, but the way we made the film is also the way the Lumiere brothers did it, with two men and a camera."

Translated by Cindy Hawes