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Global Focus
The Pope’s Toilet
El Baño del Papa
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Beto (César Troncoso) and Valvulina (Mario Silva)
E
l Baño del Papa (The Pope’s Toilet) The two words Pope and Toilet feel almost
is loosely based on the real story of Pope like an oxymoron!
John Paul II’s visit to Latin America and Somebody told me in North America that
the run down Uruguayan border town of toilet would be kind of rude. El Baño del
Melo in 1988. Set against a landscape of Papa means the bathroom—the room—and
plight and poverty, it is a small but in America it seems like toilet is the
powerful story about one man’s struggle to artefact. We didn’t intend to be rude! But
support his family against mounting odds. we have doubts!
Indeed, everyone, good and bad, are
striving to improve their lot, and it is not There were no doubts about the positive
long before the whole town is caught up in reaction the film received at the festival.
the feverish anticipation of the papal visit Tell us about it.
and the thousands of expected visitors—all, It’s a small budget Uruguayan movie done
it is hoped, with pesos in their pockets. with a lot of energy. The film industry in
Get-rich-quick schemes are thought up, Uruguay is very very new. Because of what’s
From the rich African hues of
houses are sold for Chorizo sausage supplies happened in the world—the democratisation
and the ill-fated but indefatigable Beto, of means, cheaper cameras, cheaper
The Constant Gardener to the
affably portrayed by César Troncoso, equipment and so on—there was like a birth
audacious colour palette of
realises in a classic Eureka moment an of Uruguayan cinema. Suddenly companies
City of God, César Charlone
immutable fact: that each and every one of started coming to Uruguay to produce
is chiefly known for his striking
them will definitely need somewhere to pee. commercials, and that formed a generation
Mixing a fine cast of seasoned and first- of filmmakers. Uruguay always had a very
cinematography in the films of
time actors in the tradition of other recent rich cinema culture, but a consumption
Fernando Meirelles. Now he’s co-
Uruguayan independent movies such as cinema culture. Many of the people that are
written and co-directed his first
Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll’s now making films come from the commercial
independent feature film along
Whisky (2004) and 25 Watts (2001), background. And the good thing about it is
Charlone and Fernández’s first feature is a that whereas in some countries the national
with fellow Uruguayan filmmaker
delightful and heart-warming gem. cinema can scare the audience, in Uruguay
Enrique Fernández.
Due for release in August, I caught up we attracted it. Uruguayan people identify
with Charlone after a well-received preview with Uruguayan films and they support
By Adam Thursby at last year’s London Film Festival. them. Being Uruguayan living in Brazil my
18 by Filmmakers. For Filmmakers.
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