La Clase

In his first film José Antonio Varela tells a classic story: a rich man’s son meets poor girl and falls in love. She on the other hand wants to use her talent as a musician to escape poverty and is not entirely enthusiastic over his attentions. Life is tough in Venezuela in 1989, but the ghetto also means solidarity and hope for the poorest ones. Life on the sunny side is totally different, however, and the question is whether they can get closer to each other and meet somewhere outside their worlds. With an energetic eagerness the film creates a realistic picture of Venezuela of that time, swathed in brutality, warmth and moody music. red.