Sin vergüenza

I've been a die-hard movie lover since the age of 6, but I can't think of many movie-watching experiences that have been as luminous, magical, and impacting as the one I had when I first saw SIN VERGUENZA.

It was November 3rd. To my surprise, I had a wonderful evening. A truly BEAUTIFUL evening that I'll always remember (I'm not one to be indifferent to truly beautiful and joyfilled moments in life). College was off that day, thanks to the Puerto Rican elections the previous day. But my acting teacher had already told all of us on the last class that we would be getting together in her house to watch two films: One we needed to do an exam on, and another just a film she loved that she wanted to share with us. I went there, depressed as hell! Why? It is totally unnecessary for me to share, since you all can easily guess. We met at the house, and discussed both elections (the PR and the American one, respectively). Certainly, the depression was not going to end with this discussion. Though I, and most of my fellow classmates, had reason to be PARTIALLY satisfied with our own election results (very long story, and involves information non-PR's aren't familiar with), the sadness, anger, and devastating disappointment about what had occurred in the American all but clouded that entirely for me.

Next, we saw the video we had to write about. I'd already seen it, but saw it again anyway. The joy, warmth, and feeling of fun that my classmates and our amazing teacher projected started to rub-off on me and I started to feel a lot more chipper thanks to the fun I was having spending time with them. I smoked, I had some snacks, and I watched the video again (taking some additional notes I hadn't taken the first time). Then, the Pizzas our teacher had ordered arrived, and I ate two slices while we still continued to chat and crack jokes.

Then, we put the DVD of the movie my teacher had loved. What was that film? You guessed it: SIN VERGUENZA. And what a f**king film it was! What an EXPERIENCE! I am a very spiritually-in-touch person, and I really do believe the higher powers love to bless you with really unexpected gifts when your heart is sinking in the worst way. This was a film I will never forget and, to add to the blessing, I'm glad I will always remember seeing this awesome film during one of the happiest, most joyful, most healing nights of my life, surrounded by such an amazing group of people. I really could NEVER have imagined such a special thing occurring during this personal Black Wednesday of mine.

SIN VERGÜENZA (NO SHAME) is an Altman-esquire ensemble piece circling around a love story, but what it is REALLY about is acting, especially about an actor's creative process and how their personal emotional turmoil affects their work (for better or worse). Phenomenal acting all-around, this amazing film is filled with unforgettable, awe-strikingly real, short vignettes involving different actors rehearsing and inevitably pouring their own heart through the scene they are trying to create. EACH ONE of these scenes is distinct, extraordinary, unforgettable, and astonishingly realistic. I have been a passionate, devoted, die-hard, one- track filmLOVER all of my life, but this is only the second film that I really feels tells MY STORY. Just as, in terms of personal feelings and hard-to-shake emotional entrapments, I couldn't have identified more with the overall message and reality of PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, in this case I couldn't have identified and FELT more the experience of being a passionate, personal-problems-filled young actor in his early stages (working hard to improve and master his craft while at the same time trying to leave his problems out of the stage or figuring out a way to have them give energy to the work) that many of the characters in this film face. It was such a cathartic experience watching this film, from beginning to end my heart felt such a shocking connection, that I am still speechless.

Afterwards, we all expressed how much we loved it, thanked our unbelievably terrific teacher from the bottom of our hearts for such a beautiful night (I was probably more thankful than most since she had picked me up so swiftly from this Black Wednesday that had sunk my heart almost underground), and we all left. I got a ride off one of the girls who was going my way.

The power of film to heal, and the power of film to play a part in human beings bonding and sharing, are just two of 577+ reasons I treasure cinema.

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