Film Review: ‘Reas’ dir. Lola Arias
Rating: ★★★★★
We’re used to watching movies at the Berlin Film Festival that surprise us with their unique take on real-life themes. Lola Arias’s second movie, “Reas,” shown at the 74th Berlinale, is one of these. There are many things I like about it. But what stands out most is the perspective of the Argentine filmmaker behind it. It’s this perspective that holds the film together and keeps us interested until the end. That’s why “Reas” is a standout film for me.
The movie begins with a shot of Yoseli in prison, with the camera capturing her face from different angles, similar to how they would film a prisoner going to or leaving jail. I see and interpret this scene as the filmmaker showing us different perspectives, perhaps angles we didn’t know existed, to look at Yoseli’s life. I argue that “Reas” is a film about looking and how we look. You can interpret looking as the lens through which we view life. Do we look at life optimistically or pessimistically? Do we see life in black and white? In shades of gray? Or do we see it in color? The film’s discussion revolves around this point; it wants to tell us that there are other ways to look.
Yoseli was arrested at the airport for drug trafficking, and we learn that she has served her sentence in Ezeiza prison for four years and six months. Her wish is to become a millionaire, and she has a tattoo on her body of the Eiffel Tower with the words written underneath: “Never Give Up.” Her tattoo speaks to the viewer about her desire, and my interpretation is that her tattoo acts like a roadmap, telling her which path to take after being released from prison. Yes, the Eiffel Tower tattoo on her body is a roadmap! Apart from Yoseli, we also see tattoos on the bodies of other characters in the film; and perhaps it can be said that our hopes and dreams symbolically shape our minds and existence like a tattoo.
The prison depicted by the director in the film is probably unlike any prison we can imagine. While it is true that it is a real prison space with walls made of plaster or painted with slogans by the inmates, these walls do not bear the signs of darkness, depression, or death. Perhaps the most important reason for this is that the real characters of this film, the inmates of this film, have no relation to death, depression, or surrender. They even express their protest to the prison authorities by singing and dancing. The inmates’ clothing comes in tones of colors like blue, red, yellow, brown… These inmates do not bully each other, they do not try to exert force or intimidate each other. In fact, these female inmates are cheerful, believe in equal rights, and consider each other as family. These female inmates have even formed a rock band to sing their own songs inspired by each other’s life stories. It seems more likely that this prison is like a limbo, a limbo where inmates must spend a certain period, reflect on what they have done, and decide on the day they leave prison to start their lives again from scratch, but without past mistakes.
The director of the film, Lola Arias, has depicted a cheerful and lively atmosphere in this film and is completely in control of the world created in it. The lighting and cinematography of the film are commendable, and the performances of the non-professional actors in the film are as impactful as those of professional actors in mainstream cinema. Another strength of the film is its set design. The film pays close attention to details in the scenes, for example, the walls behind the characters (which are always present behind characters) have many details. These details can include color, pattern, aging, and so on.
One of the creative points we see in the film is the entry of fantasy and mental fantasy elements into the space of documentary and realism of the film. And perhaps it is not unlikely to say that the type of clothing the characters wear, the coloring of these clothes, act as a symbol for the mental fantasies and dreams of these real characters. In the combination of fantasy elements, a creative and innovative space is observed. For example, in one of the scenes where two of the inmates are married, they are lying on a bed leaning against a wall, and on the wall, there is a picture of the sea, with waves coming from the horizon and two birds swimming in the scorching heat of the sun. Examples of such scenes are observable in various scenes in the film.
Another concept addressed in the film is that in the prison depicted by the director, one can experience freedom. However, it is important to consider how the inmates perceive and interpret things. The inmates are brought to this prison because they have succumbed to their desires and committed illegal acts; another interpretation I have of this film is that the inmates in prison become captives of their dreams, fantasies, and desires. And during their time in prison, they undergo such positive changes that upon their release, they pursue their unattainable dreams and aspirations.
If I were to briefly touch on the overall philosophy of the film, I could say that it’s about redeeming life, which the inmates have experienced in the past, and with the changes they undergo in prison and the belief they develop in their hopes and dreams, they start a new life after being released from prison; just like a rebirth.
“Reas” world-premiered in the Forum section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2024) on February 18th.
