A dictatorship starts in Argentina, and Harry's family is against nowadays dictator, so, to avoid being killed, they have to hidden in a isolated place. How is this for a typical ten-year-old boy? how can cope with all the things that he is not yet unable to understand? This is the main point of the film, which is moving and interesting. Harry is the main character and he told us the story as he remembers it, so everything is from his point of view, the point of view of a kid that only wants to play and enjoy himself, but he can't due to his situation. The actors (all!) are perfect, with very specially emotive acting of Darin and Roth, how everything is going hell but they don't feel hopeless in any moment, they'll continue fighting until the end. as they take cover in Kamchatka, not the physical place, meaning and spiritual fortress, which is the place to resist, if you are there, anything can destroy you, because you will be free... The history is very interesting and it catches you from the beginning with a very great visual force that makes you to enter in the film and think what you'd do in their situation. As a bad aspects two thing to comment: You are not told what is happening in the world while the film starts, so you must know what happens in Argentina in 1978 in order to understand why are they hiding. In addition, and this is usual in Argentinian films, the rhythm is very very slow, which can bore some people. This time, however, the action demands to be slow, so it is not as bad as some other films. Tu sum up, a precious touching and interesting film of characters and great actors. Recommend to see it with something the dry your tears, they maybe came at some moments of the film.
21 Reviews
As good as son of the bride
alupaca4 May 2005
I've just seen this move, and I think it's wonderful. The performance of Ricardo Darin and Cecilia Roth is superb. The movie show us how life was in Argentina for dissident people, in the seventies, under the military government. I am not an Argentinian, so I don't know much of its history. If you are like me, I recommend you to read the summary of the movie that is in the Extras section of the DVD, to be acquainted of the political situation in this years. If you are in your late thirties, or even if you are older, you'll also enjoy remembering those old beautiful songs. I thought "Son of the bride" was the best movie of Ricardo Darin, but I was wrong. This movie is as good or better.
The escape artist
jotix10020 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The plight of an Argentine family is examined in this film. At the time of the military dictatorship, they must hide and get new identities because the imminent danger of being never seen again by their loved ones. This family whose names are never revealed, try to continue their lives as best they can, hoping their hideaway is never discovered.
In Spain, as well as in Argentina, most of the films deal with a difficult period of their history that movie makers love to bring to the screen. Thus, the Spanish Civil War, has been explored by the Spaniards, and in Argentina, we have been given films that also show the horrors some people lived during the 1970s when chaos reigned in the country.
Kamchatka suffers from being obscure. The story is easy to follow, but audiences not familiar with that period of time, will be at a loss, as many comments submitted to this forum clearly indicate. Marcelo Pineyro, is a director/writer with experience in this subject, having been instrumental in the more superior "La historia oficial". Working with Marcelo Figueras, they have produced a film that, while engrossing, leaves a lot of things unexplained.
The best thing in the film is Matias Del Pozo, who probably was not a professional actor, but who steals the film from the more experienced actors like Cecilia Roth and Ricardo Darin, two giants in the Argentine cinema. As the boy who loves to read about Harry Houdini's exploits, he is marvelous to watch, and a natural at that. Ms. Roth has good moments, as well as Mr. Darin, but their efforts are dwarfed by what they have been given to play.
We have enjoyed Mr. Pineyro's work and will be looking forward to his next films.
In Spain, as well as in Argentina, most of the films deal with a difficult period of their history that movie makers love to bring to the screen. Thus, the Spanish Civil War, has been explored by the Spaniards, and in Argentina, we have been given films that also show the horrors some people lived during the 1970s when chaos reigned in the country.
Kamchatka suffers from being obscure. The story is easy to follow, but audiences not familiar with that period of time, will be at a loss, as many comments submitted to this forum clearly indicate. Marcelo Pineyro, is a director/writer with experience in this subject, having been instrumental in the more superior "La historia oficial". Working with Marcelo Figueras, they have produced a film that, while engrossing, leaves a lot of things unexplained.
The best thing in the film is Matias Del Pozo, who probably was not a professional actor, but who steals the film from the more experienced actors like Cecilia Roth and Ricardo Darin, two giants in the Argentine cinema. As the boy who loves to read about Harry Houdini's exploits, he is marvelous to watch, and a natural at that. Ms. Roth has good moments, as well as Mr. Darin, but their efforts are dwarfed by what they have been given to play.
We have enjoyed Mr. Pineyro's work and will be looking forward to his next films.
A real Gem....
firestormdaxus24 August 2003
Warning: Spoilers
This film is delightful and one which will leave you enchanted. I cannot understand some of the comments that say the reason why the family is on the run is never explained - it is! The father is described as a lawyer whose speciality is working with people who have been accused of political crimes. When his partner is arrested and goes missing- he knows that time is running short for him under the new military regime after the coup and decides to take his family underground to escape the same fate. Outstanding performances all round - Darin and Roth are electric - and it is so nice to see a film that portrays a strong husband/wife bond rather than a dysfunctional one. The child actors are impressive without displaying that smug awareness ("look at me, aren't I clever") that spoils many a performance by an American child. Touching and poignant, a must see that just emphasises the strength now coming through from Argentinian cinema.
Again
GerKijel11 October 2002
Marcelo Piñeyro reveals all his quality in this touching story. Darin and Roth are a couple that have to escape from the dictatorship from Argentina, and in this run they must leave all their lives back. Who most suffer this lost are their childrens. The film is touching and emotive. The two child are excellente!!!
Emotional, suggestive , impressive
melle-smit10 April 2005
This film leaves you all possibilities to form your own impressions. From the beginning till the end there are no data which supply you information about the the characters, what was their fault, what did they do and what would happen after. Still, all these questions are automatically answered when one knows and realizes what was happening in Argentina. The close harmony in which the family lives, the game the father is playing with his son has a educational life value. He will learn how to manipulate and stand in the world when he has grown up. The decision to bring their children to their grandfather,the running after a leaving car, gives you all the reason to use a handkerchief. Who wants to leave his children behind? What will happen to the parents? It is amazing that still today, there are people like Mr Zorrequita who deny that this ever happened. They simply did not know??? Where have we heard this before? A beautiful film. TOP
Attractive drama co-produced by Argentina/Spain about the relationship between parents and children from a stressed family pursued by the dictatorship
ma-cortes1 March 2016
This is an engaging tale narrated in sensitivity and intelligence and are treated ethic and moral issues developed in great sense of ductility and fairness . Dealing with the story of a family – Harry, Midget and their parents- , as they go into hiding , being based on the notorious novel written by Marcelo Figueras who breaks down his book 'Kamchatka'. It is set in 1976 , Argentina , there happens a coup d'etat led by General Videla and other officers . Thousands of citizens opposed to military regime are chased and kidnapped , as there are numerous missing people . Ten-year-old Harry , who does not know that Argentina's 1976 coup d'état is impacting his life . After witnessing the "disappearance" of dissident friends , a human rights advocate at law (Ricardo Darín) and his research scientist spouse (Cecilia Roth) take their children from school , Harry and his little brother , leave their home and all of them go to a vacant summer house . They flee the city and hide at a far mansion from the military police . With them are their two kids : Harry (Matia Del Pozo) , who is fascinated with the escape artistry of ¨Harry Houdini¨ , ¨Mandrake¨ and TV series as ¨Roy Thinnes' The Invaders¨ (1967) , ¨Simon Templar's The Saint¨ and along with the little guy (Milton De La Canal) , nicknamed El Enano (The actual translation is "dwarf") , they form a close-knit family living at a hidden house . Both of whom finally learn the meaning of the family and help each other . At the countryside mansion , all of them adopt new identities and try to lead a normal life . Subtly hinted , however, and used as a metaphor , is the mother's constant smoking and El Enano's renewed bed-wetting . After that , at the location placed in city outskirts , they are joined by a young student who is using the alias Lucas (Tomás Fonzi) and he really befriends Harry . Their new life is difficult , but a visit with their estranged grandparents : grandmother(Fernanda Mistral) and grandfather (Héctor Alterio) reveals that they are still an intimate family . As a host of characters , completely change the tedious life of Harry .
Enticing as well as intelligent film plenty of good feeling , sense , deep sensibility as well as a well written script delving into the human psyche , showing how stressful and precarious situation of a beloved family is . Based on Marcelo Figueras' novel "Kamchatka" - who grew up in Argentina and currently lives in Barcelona- , this is his first to be translated into English concerning about the foursome takes on new identities at the beginning of Argentina's Dirty War in 1976 ; the 309-page book is told from Harry's perspective and takes its title from a key territory in the board game Risk . The film is seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy , being an agreeable , quiet film , perfectly acted and concerning the narration about the relationship between parents and children . This is a brooding yarn in which there is a psychologically intense character studio of the likable members of a peculiar family being harassed , chased , pursued by the military regime . The film attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , in spite of the relentless pursuit they suffer , with its amusing sides and dark areas . Trying to be realistic and make everything as in a fairytale but giving way to mirth and humor . In addition , the film gives us a nice panorama about a middle-class family , its pity , goodness, sacrifice , companionship and various situations happen in its existence . Marcelo Piñeyro tries to mix genres ranging from comedy to melodrama with some sensitive touches . The veteran actors , Ricardo Darin and Cecilia Roth give very good performances . Gentle , sympathetic the little boy played by Matias Del Pozo along with his brother , Milton De La Canal . It is an endearing and intimate film , well directed and well acted by a fine cast , but perhaps fails a little the main protagonist , Harry , whose optimism is as obvious that results to be excessive . Supporting cast is frankly excellent as Tomas Fonzi and aged players as Héctor Alterio and Fernanda Mistral .
Colorful cinematography by Alfredo Mayo , considered to be one of the best Spanish cameraman , author of splendid photographs in notorious films such as ¨Mondays in the sun¨, ¨Kika , ¨High heels¨ , "Sex, Party and Lies" , "The Galíndez File" , ¨Heroína¨ and several others . Lively , moving as well as emotive musical score by Bingen Mendizábal . Adding known songs adapted with roots in popular music of the seventies ; recreating the essence of the epoch with vintage songs , accompanying sensual melodies and lyrics such as ¨Son Tus Perfumes Mujer¨, including some memorable images when the family members dance themselves . The motion picture was well directed by Marcelo Pyñeiro and it was Argentina's official submission for the 2002 Oscar Awards, Foreign Language film category . He was born in 1953 in Buenos Aires, Argentina . Marcelo usually works with his fetish actor , Leonardo Sbaraglia . Piñeyro is a director and writer , especially known for ¨Plata Quemada¨ (2000) and , of course , the big hit : ¨El Método¨ or ¨the Method¨ (2005) . Marcelo has directed the following films -being most of them dramas and thrillers- : 2009 ¨La Viudas De Jueves¨ , 2003 ¨Kamchatka¨ , 2000 ¨Plata Quemada¨ or ¨Burst money¨ , 1997 ¨Cenizas del Paraíso¨ , 1995 ¨Caballos Salvajes¨ and 1993 ¨Tango Feroz¨ . Rating : 7/10 .
Enticing as well as intelligent film plenty of good feeling , sense , deep sensibility as well as a well written script delving into the human psyche , showing how stressful and precarious situation of a beloved family is . Based on Marcelo Figueras' novel "Kamchatka" - who grew up in Argentina and currently lives in Barcelona- , this is his first to be translated into English concerning about the foursome takes on new identities at the beginning of Argentina's Dirty War in 1976 ; the 309-page book is told from Harry's perspective and takes its title from a key territory in the board game Risk . The film is seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy , being an agreeable , quiet film , perfectly acted and concerning the narration about the relationship between parents and children . This is a brooding yarn in which there is a psychologically intense character studio of the likable members of a peculiar family being harassed , chased , pursued by the military regime . The film attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , in spite of the relentless pursuit they suffer , with its amusing sides and dark areas . Trying to be realistic and make everything as in a fairytale but giving way to mirth and humor . In addition , the film gives us a nice panorama about a middle-class family , its pity , goodness, sacrifice , companionship and various situations happen in its existence . Marcelo Piñeyro tries to mix genres ranging from comedy to melodrama with some sensitive touches . The veteran actors , Ricardo Darin and Cecilia Roth give very good performances . Gentle , sympathetic the little boy played by Matias Del Pozo along with his brother , Milton De La Canal . It is an endearing and intimate film , well directed and well acted by a fine cast , but perhaps fails a little the main protagonist , Harry , whose optimism is as obvious that results to be excessive . Supporting cast is frankly excellent as Tomas Fonzi and aged players as Héctor Alterio and Fernanda Mistral .
Colorful cinematography by Alfredo Mayo , considered to be one of the best Spanish cameraman , author of splendid photographs in notorious films such as ¨Mondays in the sun¨, ¨Kika , ¨High heels¨ , "Sex, Party and Lies" , "The Galíndez File" , ¨Heroína¨ and several others . Lively , moving as well as emotive musical score by Bingen Mendizábal . Adding known songs adapted with roots in popular music of the seventies ; recreating the essence of the epoch with vintage songs , accompanying sensual melodies and lyrics such as ¨Son Tus Perfumes Mujer¨, including some memorable images when the family members dance themselves . The motion picture was well directed by Marcelo Pyñeiro and it was Argentina's official submission for the 2002 Oscar Awards, Foreign Language film category . He was born in 1953 in Buenos Aires, Argentina . Marcelo usually works with his fetish actor , Leonardo Sbaraglia . Piñeyro is a director and writer , especially known for ¨Plata Quemada¨ (2000) and , of course , the big hit : ¨El Método¨ or ¨the Method¨ (2005) . Marcelo has directed the following films -being most of them dramas and thrillers- : 2009 ¨La Viudas De Jueves¨ , 2003 ¨Kamchatka¨ , 2000 ¨Plata Quemada¨ or ¨Burst money¨ , 1997 ¨Cenizas del Paraíso¨ , 1995 ¨Caballos Salvajes¨ and 1993 ¨Tango Feroz¨ . Rating : 7/10 .
A great example of the new Latin American Cinema
sympathique15 February 2004
This movie exudes the finesse and maturity of Latin American cinema of the new millenium. Long gone is the exploitation of magical realism and the cult of the exotic. The noble savage gives way to universal characters with very complex feelings.
I'm so glad this old baggage of the victim's complex has been checked at the door. The result is a beautiful movie about a family on the run during the 1970's Argentine military junta crack down. Kamchatka is free of the cliches and over-acting of Latin American movies of yesteryear. National identity is no longer the main story line, but rather a subtle backdrop that brings about one of the best stories about political crisis anywhere, the dismembering of a family.
Kamchatka has one of the most arresting final scenes that I have ever seen. This is a grand achievement of Argentine film.
I'm so glad this old baggage of the victim's complex has been checked at the door. The result is a beautiful movie about a family on the run during the 1970's Argentine military junta crack down. Kamchatka is free of the cliches and over-acting of Latin American movies of yesteryear. National identity is no longer the main story line, but rather a subtle backdrop that brings about one of the best stories about political crisis anywhere, the dismembering of a family.
Kamchatka has one of the most arresting final scenes that I have ever seen. This is a grand achievement of Argentine film.
Once upon a time there was a family close to Kamchatka
alejandro-luque27 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
(I think there will not be spoilers)
For people who used to play T.E.G. (a society game) the power of a bridge-country in the world map is a well known stuff. Kamchatka is about the resistance of a family, just at the very beginning of 76's, in a recently militarized Argentina where too much people will disappear.
Nevertheless, the story is not about the army, either not about physical tortures, or missing people. There is not any trace of documentary aim. Only a camera showing what could happened to a family involved into these sadly events and how could they keep its unity, in a human righted way.
The plot is simple and moving. For Argentineans that lived these events at this time -as it was in my case at more or less the same age that the boy tells the story-, a lot of landscapes (cars, costumes, 'cigarettes', slang, ambiance, etc.) will touch them. But this is only an excuse to show the weird dynamics of a family running out of the new dictatorial and potentially murderer establishment.
Dialogs are plenty of freshness and simplicity. Images of the village and the 'retiro' are also simple and quiet. One can follow the frustrations and discoveries of the older son without none violence or strangeness, at the same time that we can feel the desperation of the parents to survive. The camera is not exactly the eyes of the son, but a silent eye -judgeless- inviting us to participate to what is going on.
The only critics to my eyes are about the playing of the older son, sometimes overacted.
Main adult actors (Darin and Roth) are what they finally reached out: two good (may be the best) examples of what Argentina could deserve in play roles. There is something of inexorable maturity in their attitudes and compositions of the characters.
Music is calm water all over the movie. No judgement either. Simple and melodic piano riffs, accompanying the different scenes (mainly in the 'huis clos' at the villa, or on the lonely 'praderas bonaerenses').
And certainly, the message that wants to deserve Pineyro lays on the title, linked to the first slides and to the last scenes of this great movie. A must to be seen southern pearl. 9/10.
For people who used to play T.E.G. (a society game) the power of a bridge-country in the world map is a well known stuff. Kamchatka is about the resistance of a family, just at the very beginning of 76's, in a recently militarized Argentina where too much people will disappear.
Nevertheless, the story is not about the army, either not about physical tortures, or missing people. There is not any trace of documentary aim. Only a camera showing what could happened to a family involved into these sadly events and how could they keep its unity, in a human righted way.
The plot is simple and moving. For Argentineans that lived these events at this time -as it was in my case at more or less the same age that the boy tells the story-, a lot of landscapes (cars, costumes, 'cigarettes', slang, ambiance, etc.) will touch them. But this is only an excuse to show the weird dynamics of a family running out of the new dictatorial and potentially murderer establishment.
Dialogs are plenty of freshness and simplicity. Images of the village and the 'retiro' are also simple and quiet. One can follow the frustrations and discoveries of the older son without none violence or strangeness, at the same time that we can feel the desperation of the parents to survive. The camera is not exactly the eyes of the son, but a silent eye -judgeless- inviting us to participate to what is going on.
The only critics to my eyes are about the playing of the older son, sometimes overacted.
Main adult actors (Darin and Roth) are what they finally reached out: two good (may be the best) examples of what Argentina could deserve in play roles. There is something of inexorable maturity in their attitudes and compositions of the characters.
Music is calm water all over the movie. No judgement either. Simple and melodic piano riffs, accompanying the different scenes (mainly in the 'huis clos' at the villa, or on the lonely 'praderas bonaerenses').
And certainly, the message that wants to deserve Pineyro lays on the title, linked to the first slides and to the last scenes of this great movie. A must to be seen southern pearl. 9/10.
China attacks Kamchatka
agent_starling_199929 November 2002
Like "Harry", I always enjoyed playing TEG. If you have never played it, don´t worry, for it´s actually pretty simple: one board with fifty countries, and three or four players trying to control 30 of them to win the game. But Harry has never played with so many people - he just plays with his dad. And when its only two players, it is a fight to the death: all 50 countries or nothing. Harry has never won before, and he is very close to winning - but his dad, controlling this little, obscure region on the edge of the board, this remote place with a tongue twister of a name, Kamchatka, still manages to resist for hours and hours. As Harry will learn later, surviving against all odds is indeed possible... and as he warns us as the movie begins, this will be the last and most memorable lesson he has learned from his father.
A touching tale made up of childhood memories, Kamchatka tells the story of a middle-class couple in Argentina in the mid-70s, during the military dictatorship that horrified and scarred the country. One day, without warning, the couple take their two children to an abandoned house, desperately trying to escape. But of course, the children understand nothing of this - instead they are forced to leave their lives behind and even change their names. The movie cleverly focuses on the older of the two boys, Harry (who actually names himself after Harry Houdini), and suggests the horrors of the period through subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) metaphors, sometimes with a sense of humor you wouldn´t expect for this type of pictures.
The good thing about "Kamchatka" is that it is not a history lesson - you never know exactly what the parents (and the other people that come and go into the children´s lives) did to be hiding, but it doesn´t really matter. What matter is that the film accurately portrays the heartbreaking situation of a man and a woman who do not know if they´ll live to see their children grow, and are still strong enough to fight back and try to smile for them. We don´t know what they did when they left the house every day. We don´t know what happened to their friends and co-workers. We don´t even learn their real names - like so many of the "desaparecidos", they are the anonymous victims of a goverment that almost destroyed a country. We only see the couple through the innocent - but oddly wise - eyes of their children.
Ricardo Darin and Cecilia Roth have once again proved with this movie that they are some of the best actors in Argentina right now - I´ve seen them both in more demanding roles, mind, and this is far from being their best performances... and yet they are both believable and their chemistry with the children is perfect. Director Ricardo Piñeyro knows what he is doing, and it shows: with this type of material it is dangerously easy to fall into the trap of making a cheap melodrama, and yet he manages (for the most part) to avoid making the picture overly sentimental or manipulative. Kamchatka may not be a perfect film, but it´s heart-felt and beautifully filmed.
For viewers who wish to know more about this dark time in Argentina´s history, you may rent the excellent Oscar-winning "The Official Story".
A touching tale made up of childhood memories, Kamchatka tells the story of a middle-class couple in Argentina in the mid-70s, during the military dictatorship that horrified and scarred the country. One day, without warning, the couple take their two children to an abandoned house, desperately trying to escape. But of course, the children understand nothing of this - instead they are forced to leave their lives behind and even change their names. The movie cleverly focuses on the older of the two boys, Harry (who actually names himself after Harry Houdini), and suggests the horrors of the period through subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) metaphors, sometimes with a sense of humor you wouldn´t expect for this type of pictures.
The good thing about "Kamchatka" is that it is not a history lesson - you never know exactly what the parents (and the other people that come and go into the children´s lives) did to be hiding, but it doesn´t really matter. What matter is that the film accurately portrays the heartbreaking situation of a man and a woman who do not know if they´ll live to see their children grow, and are still strong enough to fight back and try to smile for them. We don´t know what they did when they left the house every day. We don´t know what happened to their friends and co-workers. We don´t even learn their real names - like so many of the "desaparecidos", they are the anonymous victims of a goverment that almost destroyed a country. We only see the couple through the innocent - but oddly wise - eyes of their children.
Ricardo Darin and Cecilia Roth have once again proved with this movie that they are some of the best actors in Argentina right now - I´ve seen them both in more demanding roles, mind, and this is far from being their best performances... and yet they are both believable and their chemistry with the children is perfect. Director Ricardo Piñeyro knows what he is doing, and it shows: with this type of material it is dangerously easy to fall into the trap of making a cheap melodrama, and yet he manages (for the most part) to avoid making the picture overly sentimental or manipulative. Kamchatka may not be a perfect film, but it´s heart-felt and beautifully filmed.
For viewers who wish to know more about this dark time in Argentina´s history, you may rent the excellent Oscar-winning "The Official Story".
Slow and Boring
davidwa0131 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Latin American film has always been very different from the typical Hollywood movie. We don't obtain that excitement we get from a blockbuster movie of Hollywood. Movies in Latin America most of the times portray a problem happening in the country and the struggles of living in such problem. Marcelo Piñeyro tries to show how a family has to escape from the coup d'etat in Argentina with the regime of the leader Jorge Rafael Videla. This film is seen from the eyes of a boy named Harry, who is unaware of what is happening in the country and unaware that what is happening, is affecting his family.
"Kamchatka" is an Argentinian movie which explains the struggles that families had to go through in the late 70's - early 80's. Harry (Matías del Pozo) is one of the sons of the family, Los Vicente. Harry as well as his little brother, Simon (Milton De la Canal), aren't aware of what is happening or why they are suddenly changing their lives completely. David Vincente (Ricardo Darín) is a lawyer and a father who is trying to do everything possible to keep the family together along with his wife (Cecilia Roth).
It is very rare, almost impossible, to see a Hollywood star in a Latin American film and "Kamchatka" isn't the exception. These actors are all Argentinian which made the adaption easier being from the same country who lived the experience. Ricardo Darín played a good part in being a desperate father trying to get the best for his family but on the other side, Cecilia Roth was the loving mother who was always crying about her children although she was very careless, leaving them alone and smoking inside a car, widows closed and the kids inside. Matías del Pozo had to be the one in charge of everything with only 10 years old, yet he played his role very well.
In my personal opinion, this movie was very boring and difficult to grasp if you don't know the background about what is happening in the setting of the story. The movie was very slow and nothing exciting happened throughout the 106 minutes of film. The whole movie was about waiting for something interesting to happen and most of the movie was about the mother crying, Harry talking about Houdini and playing the game "T.E.G" with David. Given the impacting background of the movie, you could expect something happening with the military and Videla's dictatorship, or at least a little explanation during the film about what is happening. All we get is about 30 seconds of the news faded in the background and we can see military movements in the TV, but nothing else.
I don't feel like I learned something important from this movie and there is not much to learn. It is a different experience watching Latin American film and we can get the difficulties of having to run away from your own country in the film. This is not the best Latin American Movie and I wouldn't put it near the best movies in Latin American cinema because there are other movies, not only Argentinian that can be way better than "Kamchatka"
I hope this movie wasn't made for international viewers because if it were made like that, it would have made a terrible job in accomplishing it's goal. I think "Kamchatka" was made for Argentinian viewers who can relate to the experience. I believe that if I were an Argentinian who lived through these events, the movie would have been great. Being from a Latin American country, I can normally relate to most of the movies made or based in a Latin American problem, but "Kamchatka" left me with a hole left to fill. I feel like the movie missed out plenty of things that could have been added to it. If had to recommend this movie, I would recommend it to all of the Argentinian population and to people aware of the Videla reign. If someone that is not aware of this, and want to see the movie, I would recommend to research a lot of what happened in the 70's in Argentina. I would rate the movie a "PG" in the MPAA rating system because it contains smoking, little foul language and it simply isn't a movie for children. To conclude about "Kamchatka", I think this movie is bad and this is not an epitome of Latin American Cinema, there are many movies that can be better than "Kamchatka", this is a growing area of cinema and has to be aided with more support and viewers.
"Kamchatka" is an Argentinian movie which explains the struggles that families had to go through in the late 70's - early 80's. Harry (Matías del Pozo) is one of the sons of the family, Los Vicente. Harry as well as his little brother, Simon (Milton De la Canal), aren't aware of what is happening or why they are suddenly changing their lives completely. David Vincente (Ricardo Darín) is a lawyer and a father who is trying to do everything possible to keep the family together along with his wife (Cecilia Roth).
It is very rare, almost impossible, to see a Hollywood star in a Latin American film and "Kamchatka" isn't the exception. These actors are all Argentinian which made the adaption easier being from the same country who lived the experience. Ricardo Darín played a good part in being a desperate father trying to get the best for his family but on the other side, Cecilia Roth was the loving mother who was always crying about her children although she was very careless, leaving them alone and smoking inside a car, widows closed and the kids inside. Matías del Pozo had to be the one in charge of everything with only 10 years old, yet he played his role very well.
In my personal opinion, this movie was very boring and difficult to grasp if you don't know the background about what is happening in the setting of the story. The movie was very slow and nothing exciting happened throughout the 106 minutes of film. The whole movie was about waiting for something interesting to happen and most of the movie was about the mother crying, Harry talking about Houdini and playing the game "T.E.G" with David. Given the impacting background of the movie, you could expect something happening with the military and Videla's dictatorship, or at least a little explanation during the film about what is happening. All we get is about 30 seconds of the news faded in the background and we can see military movements in the TV, but nothing else.
I don't feel like I learned something important from this movie and there is not much to learn. It is a different experience watching Latin American film and we can get the difficulties of having to run away from your own country in the film. This is not the best Latin American Movie and I wouldn't put it near the best movies in Latin American cinema because there are other movies, not only Argentinian that can be way better than "Kamchatka"
I hope this movie wasn't made for international viewers because if it were made like that, it would have made a terrible job in accomplishing it's goal. I think "Kamchatka" was made for Argentinian viewers who can relate to the experience. I believe that if I were an Argentinian who lived through these events, the movie would have been great. Being from a Latin American country, I can normally relate to most of the movies made or based in a Latin American problem, but "Kamchatka" left me with a hole left to fill. I feel like the movie missed out plenty of things that could have been added to it. If had to recommend this movie, I would recommend it to all of the Argentinian population and to people aware of the Videla reign. If someone that is not aware of this, and want to see the movie, I would recommend to research a lot of what happened in the 70's in Argentina. I would rate the movie a "PG" in the MPAA rating system because it contains smoking, little foul language and it simply isn't a movie for children. To conclude about "Kamchatka", I think this movie is bad and this is not an epitome of Latin American Cinema, there are many movies that can be better than "Kamchatka", this is a growing area of cinema and has to be aided with more support and viewers.
See it if you get the chance
mylesy2726 August 2005
I watched this as part of a film festival 2 years ago and it still lives with me today. As tender and compelling a depiction of love within a family as it is an indictment of the atrocities of the Argentinian police state which left so many unaccounted for. Beautiful, measured acting and direction matched by the cinematography and scripting. The focus on the relationship between the father and his two sons is heart-rending - gentle, subtle details of their bond and love for each other heighten the sense of dread as the net closes in. The final scenes are real, devoid of Hollywood soft-focus sanitising. Behind this story are countless personal tragedies, the realization of which only serves to make the emotions flood deeper still within you. I saw this in Auckland, NZ, and at the end of the screening silence filled the auditorium. No one moved. A small group at the front, one with an Argentinian flag, formed a circle and held a silent prayer together. This is a film of real power, go and see it.
Mysterious, But Interesting
robertvannsmith23 December 2002
An Argentine husband and wife move into hiding with their two sons and a friend of their's, but why they are hiding is never mentioned. You are only left to assume it has something to do with politics.
The story is more or less told in the older son's point of view --- and he really has no idea why they are hiding --- so I assume that is why the audience doesn't know, either.
The movie mostly revolves around the family bond they have and shows how a family can make it thru some very hard times when they're together.
it was a very enjoyable movie.
The story is more or less told in the older son's point of view --- and he really has no idea why they are hiding --- so I assume that is why the audience doesn't know, either.
The movie mostly revolves around the family bond they have and shows how a family can make it thru some very hard times when they're together.
it was a very enjoyable movie.
A whole general analysis on the movie
fabienmoydelacroix29 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"Kamchatka"
The movie "Kamchatka" is an Argentinean movie that was made in 2002, but based in 1975. Kamchatka talks about a kid who's name is Harry Vincent (Matias De Pozo) and he and his family have to move away from Buenos Aires to the outer part of Argentina. This causes the family to change and become more united. They face many issues living outside the city. Harry has an obsession with Houdini, the escapist and that relates to him and his family escaping form the government, because in that time it was the Argentinian revolution and form what the movie shows his father was part of the movement that was against Videla the dictator.
Harry (Matias del Pozo) is the main character is a young boy that loves the escapists, his brother Simon (Milton De la Canal) is a younger kid, that practically has no idea of what is going. His father David Vincent (Ricardo Darín) is part of the revolution and the military is looking for him, he was a lawyer. His mother Cecilia Roth was a scientist, a job that in those times was not very common for a woman, this shows that they where a modern family and not a typical one. The movie takes place in Buenos Aires and in the Argentinian fields, in a house where they live and in their grandparents house. Hey go through ups and downs and manage to stay away form the government, the two brothers experience something new, and it is to live in a house int he woods because they are accustomed to live in a big city like Buenos Aires, also Harry has to become more mature and take care of the house and his fathers when their parents go to the city. The mayor plot twist is when they get to the house where they are hiding and find all of their things torn down, the military had gotten to their house and was looking for them and that causes a lot of tension in the movie.
the actor/actress that did the best job in the movie was the mother (Cecilia Roth), she plays this character that is a representation of the world changing because she is a scientist and also the way that she shows her emotions and her faces attach very well to the movie and the situation they are going through. Also Matias del Pozo did a very good job, because he is just a kid and his acting was very hard and he did it very well because his character was the main one and some scenes where excellent, most of the movie had excellent acting in behalf of all the actors, very professional work and acting took place in this movie.
The best part of the movie of the movie was when they had to run away from their hiding place because it shows a lot of tension. And it is the best representation of how the people lived when they where chased by the government. Also they pass through very harsh times because they have to sleep in the park and they are not sure of what sort of mess is waiting for them at home.
This movie leaves a very important lesson, and that is family union, they united as a family and left nobody behind them, but also they had issues with the grandparents and that limited the father to express himself, when it comes to times like those ones, the only thing you got is your family support and that is the most important thing in life. They survived because they helped each other overcome through their situation.
The movie is recommended to adults who ha e a background information on the Argentinian revolution, because then they would have a better understanding of the film and get to appreciate more each scene. Kinds can also watch it, but it would be hard for them to understand what is going on. Also this movie helps that history would not repeat, because many people went disappeared in those times and still now days there are still people who think like Videla.
Fabien Moy De Lacroix is a student form Costa Rica. He goes to Lincoln School and he is 15 years old, he has been part of the Film Appreciation class for more than 2 months.
The movie "Kamchatka" is an Argentinean movie that was made in 2002, but based in 1975. Kamchatka talks about a kid who's name is Harry Vincent (Matias De Pozo) and he and his family have to move away from Buenos Aires to the outer part of Argentina. This causes the family to change and become more united. They face many issues living outside the city. Harry has an obsession with Houdini, the escapist and that relates to him and his family escaping form the government, because in that time it was the Argentinian revolution and form what the movie shows his father was part of the movement that was against Videla the dictator.
Harry (Matias del Pozo) is the main character is a young boy that loves the escapists, his brother Simon (Milton De la Canal) is a younger kid, that practically has no idea of what is going. His father David Vincent (Ricardo Darín) is part of the revolution and the military is looking for him, he was a lawyer. His mother Cecilia Roth was a scientist, a job that in those times was not very common for a woman, this shows that they where a modern family and not a typical one. The movie takes place in Buenos Aires and in the Argentinian fields, in a house where they live and in their grandparents house. Hey go through ups and downs and manage to stay away form the government, the two brothers experience something new, and it is to live in a house int he woods because they are accustomed to live in a big city like Buenos Aires, also Harry has to become more mature and take care of the house and his fathers when their parents go to the city. The mayor plot twist is when they get to the house where they are hiding and find all of their things torn down, the military had gotten to their house and was looking for them and that causes a lot of tension in the movie.
the actor/actress that did the best job in the movie was the mother (Cecilia Roth), she plays this character that is a representation of the world changing because she is a scientist and also the way that she shows her emotions and her faces attach very well to the movie and the situation they are going through. Also Matias del Pozo did a very good job, because he is just a kid and his acting was very hard and he did it very well because his character was the main one and some scenes where excellent, most of the movie had excellent acting in behalf of all the actors, very professional work and acting took place in this movie.
The best part of the movie of the movie was when they had to run away from their hiding place because it shows a lot of tension. And it is the best representation of how the people lived when they where chased by the government. Also they pass through very harsh times because they have to sleep in the park and they are not sure of what sort of mess is waiting for them at home.
This movie leaves a very important lesson, and that is family union, they united as a family and left nobody behind them, but also they had issues with the grandparents and that limited the father to express himself, when it comes to times like those ones, the only thing you got is your family support and that is the most important thing in life. They survived because they helped each other overcome through their situation.
The movie is recommended to adults who ha e a background information on the Argentinian revolution, because then they would have a better understanding of the film and get to appreciate more each scene. Kinds can also watch it, but it would be hard for them to understand what is going on. Also this movie helps that history would not repeat, because many people went disappeared in those times and still now days there are still people who think like Videla.
Fabien Moy De Lacroix is a student form Costa Rica. He goes to Lincoln School and he is 15 years old, he has been part of the Film Appreciation class for more than 2 months.
"Kamchatka" will bring you back to 1970s in Argentina
suqizhen30 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The world is not as peace as a lot of people have thought, while people are working or studying in a safe environment, some other people might be "rolling in the deep", like tiny ships tossed on a very dark and deep ocean. The movie I just finished watching, "Kamchatka", is actually a drama revealing about the dictatorship in Argentina in 1970s through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy.
The scene was set in Argentina in 1970s when the dictator Jorge Videla came to power. Our narrator is a ten-year-old boy who experienced the influence dictatorship had given on his normal life without knowing, Harry, portrayed by the actor Matías Del Pozo. His father David Vicente, who was once a lawyer, portrayed by Ricardo Darín, His mother, who used to be working in a lab, enacted by Cecilia Roth. And Harry's little brother enacted by Milton De La Canal, mentioned as El Enano in the movie. The story was about how a happy Argentine family got impacted by the coup d'etat and forced to separate. It is a heartbreaking story, especially when it was told in a the-year-old boy's point of view. The issues the family had to face are becoming more and more severe as the movie goes on. First, they disguised, changed their names and moved away. Then at the end, the parent had to leave their kids to the grandparents to insure that the kids are safe. The motif was keep repeating through the boy's mouth that it was the late time he had seen his father. It was also irony, how the parents are trying to be optimistic and telling their children that things will get better, but at the end, the circumstance became even more severe.
The actors that portrayed the mother and the father are professionals, but for the children actors that enacted Harry and his brother, they are not professionals. Nevertheless, they still did a great job. They successfully portrayed the roles and made them vivid on screen. Watching the movie, the spectators could see that the actors really did assume themselves as the character and the emotions are deeply buried under their eyes. In some scenes, the audiences will really feel touched, especially when Harry chased their parents' car when they were driving away. Even though he didn't know what has happened, through his parents' expression, he probably figured out that it might be the last time seeing them.
What I like about this movie is that all the tiny details were obviously carefully designed to make this movie more realistic. First it's the family's car was shabby, and it looks like it will break apart at any time, then it was the public phones on the sides of the roads. And another thing I like about this movies is sometimes we were actually witnessing in the perspective of Harry, not only the narration which made me feel like that when I was watching, but also the angle and the position of the camera when it was filming. Audiences will feel like they were experiencing what Harry had gone through. Though details made this fictional story seemed real. As for the parts of the movie I don't really like, it that before watching this movie, I did research and read the synopsis. And it made me feel like this movies is going to have a climax, and a huge down flow. Surprisingly, the movie ended with the scene Harry watching his parents driving away in their car. The plot of this movie for me will seem like more completed if the director add a scene at the end Harry and his brother finally got to meet their mother when they grow up.
What I learned from this movie is that we need to appreciate what we have now. We could see that the misfortune has befallen fairly fast in this family that one day they were still going to schools and works normally, the other day they need to hide. And though the parents were trying to be optimistic, the kids must had sensed something was not right. The most heartbreaking is that, the parents were trying to keep the kid out of truth that when they have to leave, the kids got more upset about it. It made me think that probably the same thing could happen to us. Though currently we are not experiencing through a political change but it might happen in the future. All things you obtain today can suddenly be taken away from you, but nobody can predict what will happen in the future, what we can to is to make everyday meaningful and unforgettable. I think other people who have watched it will have learned the same thing as me.
I think everybody can watch it. Though I do think that probably the elementary students can't understand the theme but Kamchatka is a good movie for middle schoolers and high schoolers. The movie itself doesn't contain any violent scenes, though it's telling a violent story. Kids could understand the reality of the world and what kind of attitude we should have to face future, that we should always be optimistic and looking forward to a better tomorrow.
The scene was set in Argentina in 1970s when the dictator Jorge Videla came to power. Our narrator is a ten-year-old boy who experienced the influence dictatorship had given on his normal life without knowing, Harry, portrayed by the actor Matías Del Pozo. His father David Vicente, who was once a lawyer, portrayed by Ricardo Darín, His mother, who used to be working in a lab, enacted by Cecilia Roth. And Harry's little brother enacted by Milton De La Canal, mentioned as El Enano in the movie. The story was about how a happy Argentine family got impacted by the coup d'etat and forced to separate. It is a heartbreaking story, especially when it was told in a the-year-old boy's point of view. The issues the family had to face are becoming more and more severe as the movie goes on. First, they disguised, changed their names and moved away. Then at the end, the parent had to leave their kids to the grandparents to insure that the kids are safe. The motif was keep repeating through the boy's mouth that it was the late time he had seen his father. It was also irony, how the parents are trying to be optimistic and telling their children that things will get better, but at the end, the circumstance became even more severe.
The actors that portrayed the mother and the father are professionals, but for the children actors that enacted Harry and his brother, they are not professionals. Nevertheless, they still did a great job. They successfully portrayed the roles and made them vivid on screen. Watching the movie, the spectators could see that the actors really did assume themselves as the character and the emotions are deeply buried under their eyes. In some scenes, the audiences will really feel touched, especially when Harry chased their parents' car when they were driving away. Even though he didn't know what has happened, through his parents' expression, he probably figured out that it might be the last time seeing them.
What I like about this movie is that all the tiny details were obviously carefully designed to make this movie more realistic. First it's the family's car was shabby, and it looks like it will break apart at any time, then it was the public phones on the sides of the roads. And another thing I like about this movies is sometimes we were actually witnessing in the perspective of Harry, not only the narration which made me feel like that when I was watching, but also the angle and the position of the camera when it was filming. Audiences will feel like they were experiencing what Harry had gone through. Though details made this fictional story seemed real. As for the parts of the movie I don't really like, it that before watching this movie, I did research and read the synopsis. And it made me feel like this movies is going to have a climax, and a huge down flow. Surprisingly, the movie ended with the scene Harry watching his parents driving away in their car. The plot of this movie for me will seem like more completed if the director add a scene at the end Harry and his brother finally got to meet their mother when they grow up.
What I learned from this movie is that we need to appreciate what we have now. We could see that the misfortune has befallen fairly fast in this family that one day they were still going to schools and works normally, the other day they need to hide. And though the parents were trying to be optimistic, the kids must had sensed something was not right. The most heartbreaking is that, the parents were trying to keep the kid out of truth that when they have to leave, the kids got more upset about it. It made me think that probably the same thing could happen to us. Though currently we are not experiencing through a political change but it might happen in the future. All things you obtain today can suddenly be taken away from you, but nobody can predict what will happen in the future, what we can to is to make everyday meaningful and unforgettable. I think other people who have watched it will have learned the same thing as me.
I think everybody can watch it. Though I do think that probably the elementary students can't understand the theme but Kamchatka is a good movie for middle schoolers and high schoolers. The movie itself doesn't contain any violent scenes, though it's telling a violent story. Kids could understand the reality of the world and what kind of attitude we should have to face future, that we should always be optimistic and looking forward to a better tomorrow.
"Kamchatka" a movie not even 'Chaka' would want to live through.
Luigicarranza830 May 2014
The last week I had the great opportunity of seeing one of the most shocking and outstanding movie of the Latin America cinema. I had the luck of seeing "Kamchatka" the Argentinian movie of a family living through the "Dirty War" in the 1970s. Its such a great story because it shows a point of view of the war not ever seen before, it the shows the life of the people hiding and not necessary the actual war. This movie might be very calm and lack of action but it deals with a very harsh theme that is war and it gets its point across very smoothly.
The plot of this story is of a family, that like many others during this war, had to leave their houses and hide away and pray to not get caught by the military. In the "Dirty War", important people and other normal civilians would be kidnapped daily, around 30,00 was the estimate of missing people by the end of the war. The story revolves around the life of this family in their hideout and how they try to live a normal life. To keep themselves safe in their new hideout, this family has to change everyone's name, so we now them by the names they invent, the dad is David Vincent, the mom is just called mom, the oldest kid is called Harry and the little brother is known as 'El Enano'.
The main characters, or the cast, are composed by Ricardo Darín as Dad or David Vincent, Cecilia Roth as Mom Vincent, Matías Del Pozo as Harry, Milton De La Canal as Simón or El enano, and Héctor Alterio as Grandfather. This are not all the actors that were in the movie but this stood out the most. Ricardo Darín (David Vincent) and Cecilia Roth (Mom Vincent) made an amazing job in the acting, they made an excellent job conveying the emotions of the people who lived through this war. Matías Del Pozo or Harry was also outstanding in his acting despite only being 10 years old in the movie.
This movie could have been improved much more in the sense of showing more about the reality of war. Some scenes like when they came back to their runaway house could have been more dramatic in order to get more the attention of the viewer. Other scene where really good and did a great job grasping the attention of the audience such as the dance scene, where we saw how the family kept happy and together throughout those hard times. The scene of the shooting starts is another great example of this scenes that break the tension and show the good side of the story.
"Kamchatka" shows us a very dark theme, war, specially the "Dirty War" but this is not a documentary about this war, it is a movie. Because its a movie, it is made not only to inform but to leave lessons to the audience. A lesson that is clearly shown through out all the movie and in the scenes of the dance and the shooting stars is that there is always light in the the darkest places. This family is living hell but they always find time for each other and to be happy. Another lesson this film conveys is the cruelty in human nature. Again and again it is shown the innocence of this family but this does not stop their horrible persecution.
This movie is directed to any type of audience, it contains from comedy to very serious scenes. It deals with a very complicated theme but it displays it in a very simple way to understand. The lack of action and romance is bad news for young audiences but all the other aspects make this movie a perfect movie for almost anyone. If there had to be a recommendation, mainly this movie would be recommended from young adults and to all type of ages above. This film has a rating of 7.3, a very harsh rating for such a great film but still a very it is a good rating for a Latin American movie.
The plot of this story is of a family, that like many others during this war, had to leave their houses and hide away and pray to not get caught by the military. In the "Dirty War", important people and other normal civilians would be kidnapped daily, around 30,00 was the estimate of missing people by the end of the war. The story revolves around the life of this family in their hideout and how they try to live a normal life. To keep themselves safe in their new hideout, this family has to change everyone's name, so we now them by the names they invent, the dad is David Vincent, the mom is just called mom, the oldest kid is called Harry and the little brother is known as 'El Enano'.
The main characters, or the cast, are composed by Ricardo Darín as Dad or David Vincent, Cecilia Roth as Mom Vincent, Matías Del Pozo as Harry, Milton De La Canal as Simón or El enano, and Héctor Alterio as Grandfather. This are not all the actors that were in the movie but this stood out the most. Ricardo Darín (David Vincent) and Cecilia Roth (Mom Vincent) made an amazing job in the acting, they made an excellent job conveying the emotions of the people who lived through this war. Matías Del Pozo or Harry was also outstanding in his acting despite only being 10 years old in the movie.
This movie could have been improved much more in the sense of showing more about the reality of war. Some scenes like when they came back to their runaway house could have been more dramatic in order to get more the attention of the viewer. Other scene where really good and did a great job grasping the attention of the audience such as the dance scene, where we saw how the family kept happy and together throughout those hard times. The scene of the shooting starts is another great example of this scenes that break the tension and show the good side of the story.
"Kamchatka" shows us a very dark theme, war, specially the "Dirty War" but this is not a documentary about this war, it is a movie. Because its a movie, it is made not only to inform but to leave lessons to the audience. A lesson that is clearly shown through out all the movie and in the scenes of the dance and the shooting stars is that there is always light in the the darkest places. This family is living hell but they always find time for each other and to be happy. Another lesson this film conveys is the cruelty in human nature. Again and again it is shown the innocence of this family but this does not stop their horrible persecution.
This movie is directed to any type of audience, it contains from comedy to very serious scenes. It deals with a very complicated theme but it displays it in a very simple way to understand. The lack of action and romance is bad news for young audiences but all the other aspects make this movie a perfect movie for almost anyone. If there had to be a recommendation, mainly this movie would be recommended from young adults and to all type of ages above. This film has a rating of 7.3, a very harsh rating for such a great film but still a very it is a good rating for a Latin American movie.
Generic, derivative "qualité" movie
figuko1 December 2002
Kamchatka is a terrible film. I believe what seems to pass for "understated" is its plain dullness, and the main character (a kid whose POV is nominally carrying the movie) doesn't show a single instance of child-like perception - save for a couple of commonplace animal shots, the kid sees the world exactly as the rest of Piñeyro's characters; a polite, well-framed shot by Alfredo Mayo.
Since "Caballos Salvajes" I've been trying to figure out who the bad guys are in Piñeyro's films (back then, bullets always came from outside the frame). I'm sad to report things have gotten even worse, since now we need to resource to _our_ (external) knowledge of the period to understand what's going on. He seems to get away with it because, sadly, not that much happens in the movie, anyway.
Kamchatka might be worth seeing, however, if you're interested in recent developments in the political genre. It was interesting to me how, by trying to detach itself from the political movie tradition, it achieves the complete opposite: this is a film that couldn't possibly make sense unless you are not only aware of the external circumstances that affect the characters but also have already a clear position on the political conflict in case.
As justified as the generic, elegiac tone of the movie may be in the real world, its fictional consequences are devastating. It leaves us with no real characters and not a single dramatic scene proper.
Characters here are archetypes and, most of the time, it's not entirely clear of what. It doesn't help that the movie looks often derivative of other films that have successfully portrayed the specifics of perception in children (the soundtrack mimicking Thomas Newman is particularly painful in that respect).
Piñeyro's former writer (Aida Bortnik, who also wrote The Official Story) used to be quite annoying to me, but at least she seemed to know and like drama as a tool.
Since "Caballos Salvajes" I've been trying to figure out who the bad guys are in Piñeyro's films (back then, bullets always came from outside the frame). I'm sad to report things have gotten even worse, since now we need to resource to _our_ (external) knowledge of the period to understand what's going on. He seems to get away with it because, sadly, not that much happens in the movie, anyway.
Kamchatka might be worth seeing, however, if you're interested in recent developments in the political genre. It was interesting to me how, by trying to detach itself from the political movie tradition, it achieves the complete opposite: this is a film that couldn't possibly make sense unless you are not only aware of the external circumstances that affect the characters but also have already a clear position on the political conflict in case.
As justified as the generic, elegiac tone of the movie may be in the real world, its fictional consequences are devastating. It leaves us with no real characters and not a single dramatic scene proper.
Characters here are archetypes and, most of the time, it's not entirely clear of what. It doesn't help that the movie looks often derivative of other films that have successfully portrayed the specifics of perception in children (the soundtrack mimicking Thomas Newman is particularly painful in that respect).
Piñeyro's former writer (Aida Bortnik, who also wrote The Official Story) used to be quite annoying to me, but at least she seemed to know and like drama as a tool.
What`s the story?
Luthor809 June 2003
An Argentine couple move into hiding with their two sons. Hiding from whom? Why? The movie will not tell us the answer to those questions because that is not what this movie is about. I have to say, though, that I could not stop wondering that through the whole movie.
This movie is the story of how this family fights to overcome obstacles (whatever they might be). The effort parents have to make to provide a happy family live for their kids even when their own personal life is plagued with difficulties. Explained with the simplicity of a nine years old boy's perspective the movie is just beautiful and well done.
Winner of a "Ciguapa de Oro" at the Santo Domingo 5th International Film Festival I highly recommend it to everybody. 8.5 out 10
This movie is the story of how this family fights to overcome obstacles (whatever they might be). The effort parents have to make to provide a happy family live for their kids even when their own personal life is plagued with difficulties. Explained with the simplicity of a nine years old boy's perspective the movie is just beautiful and well done.
Winner of a "Ciguapa de Oro" at the Santo Domingo 5th International Film Festival I highly recommend it to everybody. 8.5 out 10
"Kamchatka" as a movie that allows the audience to experience historical events themselves and extract valuable lessons from them.
suarezmariafernanda29 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"Kamchatka": More Than Just a War Game By: Maria Fernanda Suarez
In the Film Appreciation elective at my school we decided to watch the movie "Kamchatka" in the World Cinema Unit. Considering we are Latin Americans we decided to choose a movie from the region, although most of these movies are not easily available for rent or purchase. "Kamchatka" was a good choice because it reflects very efficiently the realities of the life for Latin Americans during a crisis. Although not everyone can relate to living in times of war, the movie focuses more on the family aspect of the situation, allowing most people to be able to connect to at least one of the characters.
The movie "Kamchatka" is a narration about the way a young boy, Harry (Matías Del Pozo), interprets the historical events going on in his country. The storyline takes place in Argentina during the dictatorship of José Videla, featuring the coup d'etat in 1976 when he consolidated his power. His reign was right- winged and it was one of terror; anyone opposing the government's ideas was either killed or "disappeared." One afternoon Harry's mom picks him and his younger brother, El Enano (Milton De La Canal), early from school. The family must leave town for some time and retire to a house in the country. The movie follows the hardships of these troubled times from the eyes of a young boy who does not fully understand what is going on. Harry and his brother try to make the best of the situation, but their boyish curiosity creeps up often and their parents struggle to explain things in an understandable matter. Despite the parent's ability to keep the kids out of the conflict, in the scene with the grandparents it becomes evident how the political events are present in everyone's life, even in that of the youngest.
The actors in general did a great job of portraying a family living in times of hardships by not over exaggerating events and dealing in common day-to-day situations and settings. For example, in the restaurant scene, the main family is shown dealing in an environment with other families. It highlights their troubles but does not making them overly evident as to seem fake. The kids' mom (Cecilia Roth) did a specially good role in the movie. Her smoking is the only way she can let out the frustration she feels as a concerned parent, considering that she has to keep a strong outer attitude to help her kids get through. The children's naiveness towards what is going on and their expected childish dilemmas also show very good acting from their part.
What I enjoyed most about the movie "Kamchatka" is that it allows the viewers to put together the puzzle pieces of the story. We are never told why the family must leave, probably because this detail was not of much importance in the eyes of the narrator; Harry. This space for speculation engages the audience more and permits them to accommodate the movie in a manner that they can find useful. The physical settings of the story, specially the grandparent's house with the beautiful lake, show picturesque scenes that are memorable. The aspect that I liked the least in the movie was the lack of an emotionally impacting moment or action. I felt that the movie is missing a touching scene that binds an audience to a movie. Small details such as the mother's joy when Harry comes back from his escape do illustrate sentimental moments, but none stands out.
"Kamchatka" reinforces the value of family and love by showing the fragility and non- importance of material processions. The movie is an eye- opener to realities many people would not be exposed to in their usually conditions. In turn, it warns its audience about the severity of wars. The fact that Harry and his father play the war board game TEG emphasizes the foreshadowing of the evils of war. The only time Harry comes close to winning, his father holds on to one country: Kamchatka. This action of the father's to hold on to something till the very end, both in the game and in their real life, brings to light the values of dedication and perseverance.
Younger kids would probably not understand the prevalent and underlying conflict, yet they would be able to follow the simple tram of the kid's actions and enjoy the movie. It is very adequate for teenagers looking to experience a different culture and learn about a historic event in a more personal way. The magic about the movie is that anyone can connect to some aspect of it; either the situation, a character, or the time period.
Rating: 4/5
*Maria Fernanda is a sophomore in a Costa Rican high school. Her favorite subject is History, being it the reason attributed to her passion for reading and watching movies. She feels both books and movies tell incredibly valuable stories that give the audience insight into events they would never know about. She believes that the power of these communication tools is so strong they can definitely change the world for better or for worse.
In the Film Appreciation elective at my school we decided to watch the movie "Kamchatka" in the World Cinema Unit. Considering we are Latin Americans we decided to choose a movie from the region, although most of these movies are not easily available for rent or purchase. "Kamchatka" was a good choice because it reflects very efficiently the realities of the life for Latin Americans during a crisis. Although not everyone can relate to living in times of war, the movie focuses more on the family aspect of the situation, allowing most people to be able to connect to at least one of the characters.
The movie "Kamchatka" is a narration about the way a young boy, Harry (Matías Del Pozo), interprets the historical events going on in his country. The storyline takes place in Argentina during the dictatorship of José Videla, featuring the coup d'etat in 1976 when he consolidated his power. His reign was right- winged and it was one of terror; anyone opposing the government's ideas was either killed or "disappeared." One afternoon Harry's mom picks him and his younger brother, El Enano (Milton De La Canal), early from school. The family must leave town for some time and retire to a house in the country. The movie follows the hardships of these troubled times from the eyes of a young boy who does not fully understand what is going on. Harry and his brother try to make the best of the situation, but their boyish curiosity creeps up often and their parents struggle to explain things in an understandable matter. Despite the parent's ability to keep the kids out of the conflict, in the scene with the grandparents it becomes evident how the political events are present in everyone's life, even in that of the youngest.
The actors in general did a great job of portraying a family living in times of hardships by not over exaggerating events and dealing in common day-to-day situations and settings. For example, in the restaurant scene, the main family is shown dealing in an environment with other families. It highlights their troubles but does not making them overly evident as to seem fake. The kids' mom (Cecilia Roth) did a specially good role in the movie. Her smoking is the only way she can let out the frustration she feels as a concerned parent, considering that she has to keep a strong outer attitude to help her kids get through. The children's naiveness towards what is going on and their expected childish dilemmas also show very good acting from their part.
What I enjoyed most about the movie "Kamchatka" is that it allows the viewers to put together the puzzle pieces of the story. We are never told why the family must leave, probably because this detail was not of much importance in the eyes of the narrator; Harry. This space for speculation engages the audience more and permits them to accommodate the movie in a manner that they can find useful. The physical settings of the story, specially the grandparent's house with the beautiful lake, show picturesque scenes that are memorable. The aspect that I liked the least in the movie was the lack of an emotionally impacting moment or action. I felt that the movie is missing a touching scene that binds an audience to a movie. Small details such as the mother's joy when Harry comes back from his escape do illustrate sentimental moments, but none stands out.
"Kamchatka" reinforces the value of family and love by showing the fragility and non- importance of material processions. The movie is an eye- opener to realities many people would not be exposed to in their usually conditions. In turn, it warns its audience about the severity of wars. The fact that Harry and his father play the war board game TEG emphasizes the foreshadowing of the evils of war. The only time Harry comes close to winning, his father holds on to one country: Kamchatka. This action of the father's to hold on to something till the very end, both in the game and in their real life, brings to light the values of dedication and perseverance.
Younger kids would probably not understand the prevalent and underlying conflict, yet they would be able to follow the simple tram of the kid's actions and enjoy the movie. It is very adequate for teenagers looking to experience a different culture and learn about a historic event in a more personal way. The magic about the movie is that anyone can connect to some aspect of it; either the situation, a character, or the time period.
Rating: 4/5
*Maria Fernanda is a sophomore in a Costa Rican high school. Her favorite subject is History, being it the reason attributed to her passion for reading and watching movies. She feels both books and movies tell incredibly valuable stories that give the audience insight into events they would never know about. She believes that the power of these communication tools is so strong they can definitely change the world for better or for worse.
KAMCHATKA (DIDIER BECU)
Didier-Becu9 November 2003
Or you'll hate or you'll love it, simple as that and I am quite afraid that I rather hate it. The story itself could have been interesting as we follow a couple who have to escape from their hometown (I suppose due to political reasons but that's never been explained) but everything is seen through the eyes of a boy who is called Harry (his new identity) as in his own created world his hero is Harry Houdini. Oh I wish I could escape from sleep during this movie as it's so dull and slowly filmed that you constantly watch the clock till it's going to end. Naaah sorry, films with a different view are always more than wellcome but they must have been made good as well otherwise...yup, otherwise you're bored.
Kamchatka review
matthewcavana30 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a typical Argentinean movie that shows use a certain period that the Argentineans suffered. This movie shows us the life of a Argentinian family in this period and what they suffered and the changes they had to make to their lifestyle because of the current situation the country was living. This movie is not a very entertaining movie, it really doesn't show us the viewers what is really happening in the country it just shows us that the family had to leave and then the small change they had to do in their lifestyle.It shows us a few aspects of the country but it never becomes interesting at any point.
The story begins in Buenos Aires Argentina and then moves out to the outside part of buenos aires. The movie is about a family and the changes they had to make because of the situation the country is leaving.mThey had a guest whose name was Lucas that helped the parents will they were working or doing unknown things because the movie didn't show us .They had a The mIn character is the oldest child whose name was Harry. Then he has a young brother that his name is Mattias and he leaves with his mom and dad.
Their were only four actors that came out constantly in the movie. The best actor in my opinion was the oldest son, because he did a terrific job acting as if he was really affected by the situation even taught he really wasn't. The mom didn't came out every once in a while but did her part decently, it look like she had a bad day or something throughout the movie. The dad did a good job in his script had he's handful throughout the movie but did a great job with it.The youngest child didn't come out very often so i don't really have any opinion on his acting but i likes the way he expressed his feelings.
The movie in general wasn't a good movie in my opinion, it never said to much about the current situation the country and the family were living in that time. I expected the movie to show a little more emotion or action but it kept the same mood through the whole movie and this made it loose a lot of points in my personal opinion. If i would of been the director i would of add more details and more perspectives and not hide some many details and important things that happened in that time.
In this movie i got to see very little of Argentina but in some parts of the movie you can see the natural wonders it has and you cant really see buenos aires the capital of Argentina . i learned a little about the traditional music that the people in Argentina hear we can see this in different parts of the movie, we can also see some traditional things that the country had and this was all i learned about the movie, it really mist showing more of Argentina.
This movie is specifically for people that like slow movies that they don't have a lot of action and people that are interested in the time this movie was filmed in. I would recommend this movie to very few people that i know really enjoy historical events represented in a movie and that like a type of slow movie with very little action. I would rate this movie PG-13 because it doesn't have any events in which i think a 13 year old couldn't see. In my opinion this movie is not what i expected i would not recommend you to see .
The story begins in Buenos Aires Argentina and then moves out to the outside part of buenos aires. The movie is about a family and the changes they had to make because of the situation the country is leaving.mThey had a guest whose name was Lucas that helped the parents will they were working or doing unknown things because the movie didn't show us .They had a The mIn character is the oldest child whose name was Harry. Then he has a young brother that his name is Mattias and he leaves with his mom and dad.
Their were only four actors that came out constantly in the movie. The best actor in my opinion was the oldest son, because he did a terrific job acting as if he was really affected by the situation even taught he really wasn't. The mom didn't came out every once in a while but did her part decently, it look like she had a bad day or something throughout the movie. The dad did a good job in his script had he's handful throughout the movie but did a great job with it.The youngest child didn't come out very often so i don't really have any opinion on his acting but i likes the way he expressed his feelings.
The movie in general wasn't a good movie in my opinion, it never said to much about the current situation the country and the family were living in that time. I expected the movie to show a little more emotion or action but it kept the same mood through the whole movie and this made it loose a lot of points in my personal opinion. If i would of been the director i would of add more details and more perspectives and not hide some many details and important things that happened in that time.
In this movie i got to see very little of Argentina but in some parts of the movie you can see the natural wonders it has and you cant really see buenos aires the capital of Argentina . i learned a little about the traditional music that the people in Argentina hear we can see this in different parts of the movie, we can also see some traditional things that the country had and this was all i learned about the movie, it really mist showing more of Argentina.
This movie is specifically for people that like slow movies that they don't have a lot of action and people that are interested in the time this movie was filmed in. I would recommend this movie to very few people that i know really enjoy historical events represented in a movie and that like a type of slow movie with very little action. I would rate this movie PG-13 because it doesn't have any events in which i think a 13 year old couldn't see. In my opinion this movie is not what i expected i would not recommend you to see .
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