Sydney Film Festival - Film Review - Even the Rain

Garcia Bernal and Luis Tosar in 'Even the Rain'

A juxtaposition of past and present social equity issues in Bolivia are explored in 'Even the Rain'.  García Bernal is film director Sebastian who, along with his business hard-nosed producer Costa (Luis Tosar), sets out to make a revisionist drama about the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Costa has decided to film in Bolivia, because it's the cheapest place in South America.  Local man, Daniel, straight from the poorest suburbs, is cast as the Taíno chieftain who led a rebellion against the Spaniards. Unbeknownst to the director and producer, Daniel is leading his community's demonstrations against the government's decision to privatise water. Government officials are seen as dismissive of the claims by the urban poor. As the film production gets underway, the two stories - the 1512 rebellion and the twenty-first-century riots converge from their parrallel lines and underscoring the impact of colonialism on the New World and the continuing exploitation of its resources by outsiders, even if it's just a water company from a neighbouring South American country. Producer Costa is confronted by the social realities he finds in Bolivia finding a sympathy and respect for the Daniel's efforts to lead and protect his community. This is a well scripted (Paul Laverty is writer) multi-layered film-within-a-film and directed by Icíar Bollaín.