“La Soledad,” directed by Jorge Thielen Armand, depicts life of a Venezuelan father who is trying to hold on to what little his family has left. The house in which most of the plot takes place, use to be the director’s, but is now in his maid’s grandson’s hands, Jose. The struggles that Jose faces are caught on camera, in an organic format. His life has become extremely difficult given the current crisis. The economic crisis in Venezuela, caused by sever mismanagement and corruption in the government, had an unimaginable impact on the people. Shelves upon shelves of emptiness, and no sign of it ending. According to the director, Jose’s story does pull some strings of reality, but there are many sad truths that were kept in the story. An interesting touch that the director added to the story was the hidden treasure. One that could save Jose from his current life.
The movie was insightful in a way that was quite expected. It gave the sad, tough truth that everyone is aware of, but no one want to talk about. International Affairs was created on stories like these. Being far away in a coddled and safe environment, allows me to be far away from a Jose’s situation. However, thanks to the type of study and interest that IA requires, I am able to see and hear stories such as this, which can help me appreciate what I have and maybe even help.