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  • ShaBlair:
    I don't what's worse, my daughter playing the violin or her singing at 7am!

  • unluckydip:
    Sometimes I really wish I had the long term patience to learn an instrument (besides drums) such as Guitar or Violin

  • disandroid:
    anyone in Chicagoland play or know someone who plays any of the following: violin, brass instruments (trumpet, alto/tenor horns), or cello?

  • Veloute:
    No karate or violin lessons for Fiona this week. Dismantling of the weekly structure: Not Good.

  • cashh17:
    lol! downstairs?! never mind one laaa. eh keyboard can use for sound effect what. like violin or cello or .. You get the idea..x


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I highly recommend seeing "El Violin" at MIFF
 
By Julie Lawrence RSS Feed Twitter Feed
OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer

E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Julie Lawrence

What is a blog?  For us it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Published Sept. 28, 2007 at 1:28 p.m.
Tags: miff, milwaukee international film festival, el violin, the violin

I caught "El Violin" on Thursday night at the Milwaukee International Film Festival. After reading the one-paragraph description of it in the MIFF program, I knew it sounded like something that would, at the very least, keep me interested.

What I was not prepared for was an incredibly moving, beautifully shot and extremely well-acted film that just about blew me away and, from what I could discern from the crowd's reaction at the Times Cinema, left quite an impression on everyone else, too.

"El Violin" is part of MIFF's country focus -- this time Mexico -- and the stunning black and white film follows three male generations of one family -- grandfather Plutarco (Don Angel Tavira), son Genaro (Gerardo Taracena) and grandson Lucio (Mario Garibaldi) -- as they struggle for survival in several impoverished towns in Mexico. Plutarco plays his violin and Gernaro plays guitar while little Lucio begs for money from onlookers.

We soon find out that Gernaro is trying to earn money to buy stocks of guns to protect his village from an impending military attack. When the family returns to their home unarmed, they discover it's already too late -- their community has been destroyed and seized and everyone is gone, dead or missing.

Although this sounds like the start of an action-packed, violent movie, the surprise is in the perspective director Francisco Vargas Quevedo -- who adapted the film from an earlier short -- takes with it. It's slow, paced and full of heart-warming and, at times, hilarious, dialogue. There is a big focus on the peacefulness of music and finding common ground.

MIFF smartly chose to screen this one twice, so you still have time to see it at the UWM Union Theater on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m.


OnMilwaukee.com Rating:




More Information ...
UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema
2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53211
(414) 229-4070
http://www.aux.uwm.edu/Union/events/theatre/

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Post a comment / write a review.

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