KissEnglishPasto ............................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FL In English, when we say, "He was DISAPPEARED", we are using a term that came into English from Spanish. Over the past decades, countless thousands have suffered this fate in many South and Central American countries. Cautiva offers us a genuinely fresh take on this somber subject. We see the problem from the perspective of a teenage girl, Cristina Quadri, who one day, without the slightest warning, is yanked out of her class at school and taken to the office of a federal judge. He then proceeds to unravel her world by informing her that her real name is Sofia Lombardi and that her parents were "disappeared" by the dictatorship in power at the time of her birth in 1978. Furthermore, the people who she has called "Mom and Dad" her whole life, are, in reality, her abductors. At first, she is completely incredulous. In a most demanding role, Barbara Lombardo delivers an extremely intense and nuanced performance that is nothing short of awesome. To watch her gradually, step by step, come to terms with the stark and utter tragedy of her reality, is something very few actors could have done so convincingly! Cautiva leaves us contemplating just how profoundly life altering the truth can be. The film, of course, is in Spanish, and as to the quality or speed of the subtitles, I'm sorry, but I don't need them, so I can't offer an opinion.9*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most [email protected]

bandw In the early scenes it is 1993 and Christina Quadri is at her fifteenth birthday party. Christina attends a Catholic school and enjoys all of the privileges of an upper middle class existence until one day she is called from class to meet a federal judge who informs her that, as a result of DNA testing, it has been determined that her real name is Sofia Lombardi and those who raised her from birth are not her real parents. There are several elements in this film that raise it above the typical entry in the "young person searching for their real parents" genre. For one thing, Christina/Sofia's plight is not the result of such things as mistaken identities at birth, adoption, or insemination by way of a sperm bank, but rather a willful act of what amounts to a government-approved kidnapping. For another thing, Sofia's parents did not die in some accident or suffer some early natural death, but rather were killed as dissidents during the dictatorial rule in the 1976-83 era.The bulk of the film deals with Sofia's coming to terms with her real identity and her search for the grim details of her parents' fate. She is spurred on in her investigative endeavors by her friend Angélica who is in a similar situation. That aspect of the film plays out as a detective story. I wish we could have gotten to know Sofia's real family better than we do so as to better understand her ultimate decision to accept them.Bárbara Lombardo, as Christina/Sofia, is well cast. She has the ability to communicate emotion through facial expression, but is also able to rise to the occasion when venting her frustration and anger in a verbal attack on her would-be parents. The entire cast is good, but I was particularly impressed with Mercedes Funes, who plays Angélica. Funes expertly captures the sadness and defiance of a young woman who has been forced to deal with unpleasant realities and demands to know the truth.There is little doubt about director Gaston Biraben's political intent to expose the malignity and corruption of a repressive regime and it is a testament to his art as a filmmaker, and the power of film-making in general, that he accomplishes his goal by focusing on the personal rather than the historical. As an non-Argentinian this movie encouraged me to do some research and I came away from it with historical knowledge I would otherwise not have had--you cannot say that about many films.

bajitabutterfly If anyone has seen La Historia Oficial, the description makes this film sound like it could basically be a sequel with regard to the issues it deals with. In that film, set during the period immediately following Argentina's dirty war, a mother must deal with the prospect that her 5-year-old adopted daughter's biological mother might have been a prisoner who did not consent to giving away her baby. In Cautiva, the daughter is 15 and must deal with the consequences of being such a child. Fascinating idea to show of the human repercussions of corruption and military government. Does anyone know if it will be released on DVD/video in the US? Please email me at [email protected] if you have any information, it would be much appreciated.

caraig Imagine going to school one day to be told that you can never return to the only parents you've ever known. A judge informs a young Argentinian that her real mother was one of the "disappeared" 14 years previously, and she must immediately go to live with her real grandmother. The teenager finds herself living in a nightmare, even though her "new" family is understanding and compassionate towards her. She must learn to negotiate not only a new identity but must relearn her personal history and the recent history of her country. The story unfolds in layers of bad dreams and harsh reality. Did her adoptive parents save her or did they kidnap her? In CAUTIVA we are treated to a spellbinding story and a stunning portrayal by a young newcomer to the screen.