This satiric film could be construed as demeaning for Columbia and its police force, but the story can easily be moved to an other country. Originally based on a factual story with bodies found on the border of two cities. The respective authorities were more occupied with police statistics and shifting the problem, than with putting energy in dealing with the situation at hand. How this story enfolds illustrates perfectly that individuals can be helpless against official politics, with internal mechanisms that follow their own logic.
The sheer number of bodies found adds an extra dimension. It creates distance, turning it into an abstract problem. This would not happen with a single body, where direct relatives are involved. The surreal element that a few bodies sometimes have their eyes open, also turns the pile bodies in something closer at home, as explained by the film maker during the Q&A after the screening at the Rotterdam filmfestival 2011.
There was a question from the audience why the sex scene that opened the movie, was repeated identically at the end. It was meant to emphasize that life goes on, even after a tragic event with considerable impact on some people. The endless cycle of every-day's routine for the rest of mankind, continues as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. This forces those involved in the tragic event, to eventually pick up the pieces where they left off.
All in all, I was very satisfied with this piece of work. Its relatively slow pace is fundamental to the story. Nevertheless, there were no really boring moments, and something unexpected or funny was happening all the time.
The sheer number of bodies found adds an extra dimension. It creates distance, turning it into an abstract problem. This would not happen with a single body, where direct relatives are involved. The surreal element that a few bodies sometimes have their eyes open, also turns the pile bodies in something closer at home, as explained by the film maker during the Q&A after the screening at the Rotterdam filmfestival 2011.
There was a question from the audience why the sex scene that opened the movie, was repeated identically at the end. It was meant to emphasize that life goes on, even after a tragic event with considerable impact on some people. The endless cycle of every-day's routine for the rest of mankind, continues as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. This forces those involved in the tragic event, to eventually pick up the pieces where they left off.
All in all, I was very satisfied with this piece of work. Its relatively slow pace is fundamental to the story. Nevertheless, there were no really boring moments, and something unexpected or funny was happening all the time.