UNC-CH
and Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Video Collection/Outreach Office
Contact
Information: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3200
FedEx Global Education Center
Phone:
(919) 843-8888 Fax: (919)
962-0398
Email:
LA_films@unc.edu
ORIANA
(Oriana)
87
minutes
Directed
by: Fina Torres
Overview:
Based
on a story by Marvel Moreno, Oriana is an exploration of memory, time,
and desire initiated when Marie returns to the family hacienda where she spent
time as an adolescent. The secret past
contained within the house emerges in fragments, little by little, revealing a
family story that has been repressed for two generations. The narrative, contained within the vision of
Aunt Oriana via the flashbacks of Marie, constructs an intimate portrait of a
woman’s desire, while at the same time alluding to the larger portrait, as it
were, of the country’s violent past.
Strengths
and Weaknesses:
The
film is extremely engaging, with beautiful photography, excellent acting, and a
great script. One evaluator felt that
even the brief nudity was discreet enough that high school students could view
the film.
The
numerous flashbacks might be confusing.
Introducing
the Tape:
It
would be useful to have a historical background of Venezuela from 1905 to 1935,
in comparison with 1985, the year of the film’s production, as well as
information about Marvel Moreno, the author of the book upon which the film is
based. Viewers could also be told: In
1985, Fina Torres won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival with Oriana,
making her and Margot Benacerraf the only Venezuelans to receive awards at this
festival. For such a slow-paced,
intimate story, Oriana (a French coproduction) was unusually successful
in Venezuela. One reason may be that its
stylish images and soundtrack were technically equal to those of any European
or U.S. production; until then such standards had only been reached in
‘foreign’ films.
How
to Borrow this Video:
The
videos owned by the UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
are housed in the Outreach Office of the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. They are lent free of charge. For information on films and reservations,
please visit http://isa.unc.edu/film/films_main.asp.
References:
Ranucci,
Karen, ed. A Guide to Latin American,
Caribbean, and U.S. Latino-Made Film and Video.
Lanham, MD. Scarecrow
Press. 1998.