FILM SCREENINGS

The Stoplight Society

2010. Colombia/Spain/France/Germany. Directed by Rubén Mendoza. With Alexis Zuniga, Abelardo Jaimes, Gala Bernal. In the city, thousands of displaced peasants gather around traffic lights to beg at intersections. One of them, Raul, who makes ends meet by collecting recyclable garbage, stubbornly claims he has invented a device that extend the duration of red lights, allowing more time for acrobats, jugglers, beggars, and peddlers to collect money in stalled traffic. In the midst of this fantastic delirium, the lives of Raul and his fellow travelers slides further towards the abyss, and their predicament becomes a symphony of despair, devoid of hope and touched by anarchy. Innovative and unafraid to take on seriously flawed characters, the film captures a barely acknowledged underbelly of urban life, but its real achievement is the discovery of sardonic humor and even joy in the most unlikely places. In Spanish; English subtitles. 108 min.