a dios momo

Sometimes, the simplest dreams
lead us through mysterious paths.
If we have faith and courage to walk them
they could lead us to an awakening.

I saw "A Dios Momo" on Sunday at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. It was amazing and will play again this coming Saturday.

An 11-year-old street boy, Obdulio, who sells newspapers for a living but cannot read or write, finds a magical maestro in the night watchman of the newspaper's office. Obdulio's charismatic mentor not only introduces him to the world of literacy, but also teaches him the real meaning of life through the lyrics of the "Murgas" (Carnival Pierrots) during the mythical nights of the irreverent and provocative Uruguayan Carnvial.

The story reminded me of "Cinema Paradiso" and "Monsieur Ibrahim." The cinematography and the director's effective use of color saturation creates an atmosphere laden with emotion, without feeling maudlin.