SXSW Review: Amor Cronico
This year's SXSW Film Festival featured over a dozen music-related films between special screenings and the 24 Beats per Second program selections, but none fused together film and music like Cuban filmmaker Jorge Perugorría's documentary/narrative Amor Cronico. The film spotlights Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and actress Cucu Diamantes, a Grammy-nominated Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist. Perugorria seamlessly blends together live concert footage of Cucu Diamantes' cabaret style performances across Cuba -- the first touring artist from outside the country in over 50 years -- with a narrative full of humor and homages to historical filmmakers and movies, including Cuban underground films.
Amor Cronico is a love story, but less about Gurapo's (Liosky Clavero) unrequited love for Cucu and more about Cucu's love for Cuba. All is not perfect for Cucu when she returns to her country of birth -- "too much of a Cuban to live in New York, too much of a New Yorker to live in Havana" and referred to as "the Crazy Red" and "Caribbean Mata Hari." Cucu's complexity relies on balancing her carefree artistic expression with her steadfast determination to be herself as demonstrated through her mantras -- "love performs miracles" and "you have to be who you are, and stand on your own two feet."
The art direction often contrasts the vibrant colors of Cucu's wardrobe against the olive drab and khaki Cuban military uniforms as well as the poor yet strikingly beautiful countryside. The image of Cucu's 15-foot high-heel stage prop strapped to the roof of a school bus bears a striking resemblance to another road-trip performance film, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
The cinematography of Amor Cronico both explores and pays homage to the style of Fellini and many other filmmakers. From black-and-white fantasy sequences to the breaking of the fourth wall by the film's director, classic film fans should enjoy the kaleidoscope of visual imagery accompanied by the vibrant and provocative African roots and Latin fusion based tunes of Cucu Diamantes and her band.
Amor Cronico is an engaging and entertaining movie that I highly encourage viewing in a theater with a great sound system. I also hope that the soundtrack will be available, and will definitely add this film to my video library. This film has instilled in me "amor cronico" -- chronic love -- for Cucu and Cuba with its colorful visions and dynamic sound.
Austin connections: Producer Sarah Green is on the Board of Directors for the Austin Film Society. Composer Steve Barber is an Austinite and has collaborated with music and film industry legends such as David Byrne, Keith Richards and Shelley Duvall.