Blanco: Albinos Facing the Sun and Tough Conditions Ghadeer Abu-Sneineh - Managua Another front of the Dominican Republic is uncovered in the documentary film Blanco which is one hour and two minutes in duration. A young and reformer figure deserved to win the Best Award for his documentary film in the first edition of The Dominican Documentary Film Festival in February 2014. Constanza, the town where the film events take place, is the birthplace of the director Melvin Duran who left it when he was 19 to study and work in cinema. After returning to his town, Duran decided to shoot a film entitled The Children of My Town. As he embarked on making his film, he was surprised with the large number of albinos with whom he will be friends later. Tough economic conditions force albinos to face their enemy – the sun – to make a living. (Aljazeera) The Notion of Color and Identity At first sight, we think the film is far from the complex political and social matters, as it goes deep in the human dimension of the six albinos. Yet we will later find out that their sufferings in that Caribbean town is not only because of their inherited genes but also for the tough economic and social reasons that force them to go out facing their enemy, the sun, to make a living. Apart from being in a country where skin color is part of the identity. The Dominican Republic in Blanco is not a mere country with hotels and resorts, despite the fact that Durans camera spontaneously takes photos of the fascinating natural scenery of Constana from forests and green valleys. These sceneries, for a short while, go beyond the misery of poor neighborhoods where the stories of the film protagonists take place. The film includes the elements of a play; we hear a rooster crowing and birds singing declaring dawn. On a green hill which looks like a stage, six actors stand side by side with distance among them wearing white attire. The sunrise looks if it was rising between those actors then the screen turns white for a few seconds. Then you realize that the white color is the main protagonist in the film. Then a black screen that looks like a theatres drapes and the female protagonist name comes up on the screen Jabeel. She is a nine-month-old infant of a poor and loving family, she is no different from other infants at her age. Friendly Camera The second scene in the film depicts a young boy (Ariel) and his 13-year-old sister (Anabelex). Although the boy seems more interactive with his society, the girl seems introvert and shy as she is hesitant to converse with strangers and this is contrary to the kind relationship she has with her family. They boy has to accompany his father to work in the field. We see clearly the beauty of nature and the fresh air that industrialized countries lack when the boy and his father take a swim in a stream after a long and hard day at work. The camera will be friends with the protagonists in all their steps. This is Ariel behind the camera telling Duran that he is happy with his color and he isnt the only blue-eyed person. Then he has to look downward when his eyes filled with tear from the sun. More scenes follow depicting Gosta (33 years old) whose skin has dark spots that show on her lightly-dressed body as she is talking about her life, work, and taste in fashion. Gostas problem is not only with the tough conditions from which albinos suffer but also from other problems that every woman faces; this problem is represented in getting married to a man thrice her age. Scene five begins depicting Augustine Benayce who is nicknamed as Cherry (27 years old). He is an amateur singer who works in the farms under the sun which has become friends with the enemies of the sun. At night, however, he pursues his hobby by singing in a modest bar. Apparently he is accepted among people despite his difficult conditions, like the death of his wife and his inability to support his only son. Melvin Duran wouldnt have completed his film without the bridge of trust he established with the protagonists. (Aljazeera) The End of Blanco Scene six with which Duran ends his film depicts a woman in her forties – Denora - and she is the eldest albino in Constanta. She is seen talking in front of the camera about the state of boredom she is in and her attempts to rejuvenate her life. Her husband, like many other albino husbands in the film, talks about how he met Denora in a warm family gathering as if the camera wasnt present. It is important to mention that the director wouldnt have completed his film without the bridge of trust he established with the protagonists. This enticed them to talk with total spontaneity about their tough life. Meanwhile, they talked about their desire to overcome difficulties and enjoy a normal life, and transform their situation into a positive thing. The film ends the same way it began, the protagonists wearing white clothes get together in the open air and between green hills. The camera this time is closer to their faces, unlike the beginning of the film. The hour was long enough to bring us closer to them and make even their features familiar to us. Thus the film is wrapped up with its blend of protagonists who have pleasure, happiness, and hope without noticing a sign of dissatisfaction during our short visit. In the end, a black drape covers the screen and the letters of Blanco in white color appears with a song of Cherry the albino in the background. Source: Aljazeera
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 07:27:59 +0000
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