Although I do still love traditional television, I do get a lot of media from Vimeo and, to a lesser extent, YouTube. A browse of Vimeo in particular will tell you that for about 50 % of humans on earth, there appears to be a character-focused documentary telling their story (the other 50% seemingly involved behind the camera); it is really a type of film that seems to be very common and also very popular – which itself causes a cycle of creation. As such I have found myself approaching them with caution as they are often glossy, built around a couple of talking heads, and with some clever shots and sequences to fill in the rest. On the face of it, this is what Rosa – These Storms is.
It is not unreasonable to note that the film does feel promotional in nature – because essentially it is, albeit not for a product but for a cause (or movement maybe to say it better). In this way it could be easy to dismiss the film for this glossy sheen it has, but then this is before you have met Rosa. Speaking in short and direct sentences (which are very nicely subtitled on screen), Rosa is inspiring in her determination and her vision – not just for herself but for her community. She is also very expressive with few words, and with a face that carries a lot of pain and a lot of hope. We hear her story of not being allowed to go to school, being sexually abused in some way (although wisely we do not have details beyond knowing she was forced to do somethings and ultimately got pregnant), she battled to save and be proud of her child, and now fights to have an education to enable her to become a nurse for her community. All of it is told directly from Rosa, and her matter-of- fact delivery combined with the emotions on her face are touching.
It is a glossy promotional piece on the surface, but the heart is much deeper than this, and it will touch you and probably draw tears at some point (if not more than one).
