Queerguru’s Jose Mayorgas reviews ‘RAINS OVER BABEL’ a labyrinthine queer extravaganza

This is a labyrinthine queer extravaganza that fingers Dante´s Inferno with neon lights and glitter at the end of the tunnel.

Set in a retrofuturistic tropical version of Cali, Colombia (aka Ciudad de Maya), a large group of characters are part of the plot, led by a young man named the Apothecary (Santiago Pineda) who narrates, talking to the camera, and has a mute muse who writes poems on mirrors and walls.  Monet (Johan Zapata), a drug dealer; a Preacher (Jhon Narvaez) who praises the Lord, married and father of the guilty Jacob / Andria (William Hurtado), while getting ready for his debut as a drag performer.

A talking geiko helps the action flow while Uma (Celina Biurrun) and Timbi (José Mojica) visit Thanatos, the purgatory´s lowest circles translated into a thematic motel, looking for 150-year-old Callegüeso (Jacobo Velez).   As it should be,  there is a character named Dante (Felipe Aguilar Rodríguez), who is the debt collector,  and four voguing dance performers led by Darla (Jhon Bayron Quintero).   All mixed together in a meeting place for drinks and dance owned by Gian Salai (John Alex Castillo), the dive bar named Babel (limbo itself), where La Flaca (Saray Rebolledo), the city´s Grim Reaper, reigns as the Queen Bee and presides over all those lost and desperate around her.

The production’s colorful design constructs the material world where timeless, embodied beings move among amulets, lights, and shadows in an adventure with a Latin beat, where martial arts, guardian angels, and an underlying message converse alongside The Black Mamba´s concert and the taste of guava.

Debut feature from Colombian writer-director Gala del Sol, Colombia´s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards and Spain´s Goya Awards.  A timely film for the era of Abelardo de la Espriella. 

RAINS OVER BABEL, Colombia’s Official Submission
for Best International Feature at the 99th Academy Awards®

Los Angeles Screening:
Wednesday, November 5, 7pm at Instituto Cervantes, 3375 Barham Blvd.
New York Premiere:
Saturday, December 5 at Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, Queens

 

JOSE MAYORGAS : CONTRIBUTING EDITOR.  Guatemala, Central America 

Lawyer and notary public, visual artist, and editor of El Azar Cultural,  lives and works in Guatemala City. Cinema lover, curious about the possibilities life brings and eager to live the experience.   

 

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