Al otro lado
Encyclopedia
Al Otro Lado is a 2004 Mexican film directed by Gustavo Loza. The film follows the story of three children, one from Mexico
, Cuba
, and Morocco
, as they attempt to deal with realities of immigration in their societies. The film won three awards at the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival
in 2006, including Best Film and the Audience Award; Vanessa Bauche
won best actress at the festival for her performance.
Al Otro Lado was also the Mexican candidate for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
at the 78th Academy Awards
, but was not selected as one of the final five nominees.
Plot
[Mexico]
Pricilianno, the first boy introduced in the story, has a very strong bond with his father. At the beginning of the film, his father tells him a story about a princess who was raped by a conquistador and commits suicide in the lake he and his friend have been playing in. He is trying to teach his son the importance of respecting the dead, a very prevalent theme in Mexican culture. However, Priciliano is struck with grief when his father leaves his family to go find work "al otro lado" (on the other side). He is particularly upset because he is about to celebrate his ninth birthday, which his father will be missing. Frustrated, he attempts to cross the river to the other side with his friend and nearly drowns but is rescued by the ghost of the princess his father told him about. An older man in the community tells Priciliano that it is important to stay with his family because they need him, and the boy accepts his role as "the man of the house" in his father's place and begins to learn how to live everyday life without him.
[Cuba]
The second boy introduced in the story, Ángel, is ashamed of his mother, who is a prostitute. He was told before the story began that his father is a famous person and lives "al otro lado." Desperate for a sense of pride, he and his friend attempt to cross the ocean to find his father. Sadly, his friend drowns in the ocean and Ángel miraculously escapes. He doesn't have the courage to tell his friend's mother of what happened and feels extremely guilty. His grandfather notices something is wrong and urges his mother to talk to him. He tells his mother a little of what happened in the ocean and why they were there, and his mother figures out the rest and tells him that his father knows nothing of Ángel's existence. But tells him that he is all that she and his grandfather have and vice versa. Ángel learns to be content in his situation and the cinematography suggests that his friend's death is no longer a burden to him, but a memory to carry with him.
[Morocco]
Fátima is a girl who runs away from home to find her father, bringing only a picture of him with her. She is intercepted, though, by slave traders. Miraculously, one of the customers takes her away and helps her find her father who is with another woman (who does not speak Moroccan). Once confronted with his daughter, he leaves the other woman to return Fátima home. The movie ends with a shot of the two of them in front of their home village.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, as they attempt to deal with realities of immigration in their societies. The film won three awards at the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival
Lleida Latin-American Film Festival
The Lleida Latin-American Film Festival is a cinema festival that takes place in Lleida, Spain awarding Latin American films. It is organised by the Latin American Centre of Lleida and is sponsored by the city council , the University of Lleida and La Caixa...
in 2006, including Best Film and the Audience Award; Vanessa Bauche
Vanessa Bauche
-Early life:Bauche was born Alma Vanessa Bauche Chavira, named after actress Vanessa Redgrave. Her father was a Gypsy who married her mother, a woman who aspired to be a dancer and singer. At the time of the marriage, her mother was sixteen years her father's junior. The couple divorced when Bauche...
won best actress at the festival for her performance.
Al Otro Lado was also the Mexican candidate for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 78th Academy Awards
78th Academy Awards
The 78th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2005 and were held on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. They were hosted by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, with Tom Kane making his first appearance as the show's announcer...
, but was not selected as one of the final five nominees.
Plot
[Mexico]
Pricilianno, the first boy introduced in the story, has a very strong bond with his father. At the beginning of the film, his father tells him a story about a princess who was raped by a conquistador and commits suicide in the lake he and his friend have been playing in. He is trying to teach his son the importance of respecting the dead, a very prevalent theme in Mexican culture. However, Priciliano is struck with grief when his father leaves his family to go find work "al otro lado" (on the other side). He is particularly upset because he is about to celebrate his ninth birthday, which his father will be missing. Frustrated, he attempts to cross the river to the other side with his friend and nearly drowns but is rescued by the ghost of the princess his father told him about. An older man in the community tells Priciliano that it is important to stay with his family because they need him, and the boy accepts his role as "the man of the house" in his father's place and begins to learn how to live everyday life without him.
[Cuba]
The second boy introduced in the story, Ángel, is ashamed of his mother, who is a prostitute. He was told before the story began that his father is a famous person and lives "al otro lado." Desperate for a sense of pride, he and his friend attempt to cross the ocean to find his father. Sadly, his friend drowns in the ocean and Ángel miraculously escapes. He doesn't have the courage to tell his friend's mother of what happened and feels extremely guilty. His grandfather notices something is wrong and urges his mother to talk to him. He tells his mother a little of what happened in the ocean and why they were there, and his mother figures out the rest and tells him that his father knows nothing of Ángel's existence. But tells him that he is all that she and his grandfather have and vice versa. Ángel learns to be content in his situation and the cinematography suggests that his friend's death is no longer a burden to him, but a memory to carry with him.
[Morocco]
Fátima is a girl who runs away from home to find her father, bringing only a picture of him with her. She is intercepted, though, by slave traders. Miraculously, one of the customers takes her away and helps her find her father who is with another woman (who does not speak Moroccan). Once confronted with his daughter, he leaves the other woman to return Fátima home. The movie ends with a shot of the two of them in front of their home village.