“Even The Rain is a brilliant movie. At a time when the poor of the world seem to be rising up, I found myself deeply moved and completely enthralled by this film. I encourage everyone in search of a great movie to go see Even The Rain.” – Michael Moore

Even the Rain writer, Paul Leverty, at the film’s Q&A during the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

Synopsis:

In February and March of 2000, protests broke out daily in Cochabamba, Bolivia in response to the government’s decision to privatize the water company. The cost of water went up by up by three hundred per cent. Iciar Bollain’s latest feature, Even the Rain, tells the story of a film crew that arrives right at this tense juncture of the city’s history.

Filmmaker Sebastian (Gael García Bernal) arrives in Cochabamba accompanied by a cast and crew ready to make a film about Colombus’s first voyage to the New World and the subsequent subjugation of the indigenous population. Sebastian wants to focus on the experience of Bartolome de las Casas, who was so distraught over the treatment of the natives that he dedicated the rest of his life to their cause. His producer Costa (Luis Tosar) has chosen Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, because it makes sense economically. Extras are willing to work long hours for just two dollars a day.

Sebastian casts local man Daniel in the role of Hatuey, the Taino chief who led a rebellion against the Spaniards. Daniel is also one of the leaders in the demonstrations against the water hikes. Intercutting footage of Sebastien’s film with recordings of the actual protests, the lines between fiction and reality, past and present, are efficiently blurred.

Effective on many levels, this film within a film draws subtle parallels between the exploitation of the past and the continued exploitation of Latin America by richer countries and multinational corporations. Bollaín’s thoughts on the introspection inherent in filmmaking, or in any work of art, are expressed through Sebastian. He has only the best intentions of denouncing the injustices of the past, but little patience for the present dilemma, especially when it starts to impede his shooting schedule.

Even the Rain is a film about hope. Focusing on the continuing exploitation of Latin America, Bollaín shows the inspirational change that is possible when people band together to fight injustice.

By Diane Sanchez from the Toronto International Film Festival