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East End Film Festival Review: The Distance (La Distancia)

By on 04/09/2014

If I was describe La Distancia in one short sentence it would be “an unconventional sci-fi mix between Heat, Stalker and Time Bandits”

La Distancia is not your typical scifi movie

I don’t know where to begin with this unique experience of a movie. Set in a alternative future where people communicate via telepathy and have telekinetic powers, a group of Russian dwarfs are hired by artist covered in clay to steal a mysterious device called The Distance from a Siberian power station.

The Distance itself is secondary to the collage of madness that ensues. Just like in how the content of the briefcase wasn’t important to Pulp Fiction’s story the same is true of The Distance itself. Conversations with rabbits, telekinetic dwarves, a romance between a Japanese speaking metal drum and a chimney – this movie has them all. The deadpan comic delivery of the scenes are perfectly timed. Don’t expect a host of special effects – this is low budget science fiction.

thedistance

It play homage to Stalker & David Lynch

La Distancia is homage to Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker with added levels of David Lynch weirdness. If you like your movies with a linear beginning, middle, and end then this film is not for you. La Distancia is quite bizarre, but yet it delivers it wonderful ways.

The Score

Where the movie also delivers is in its score. its no doubt that the film was directed by Sergio Caballero the director of the Sonar Festival. Being an electronic producer, digital artist, art director of the festival and much more. It is only natural a creative mind such as his would produce a film like this which is such a mishmash of ideas

In conclusion….

Kick back, leave your preconceptions at the door and enjoy this bizarre 85 minutes of weirdness that will have you laughing all the way from beginning to the end.

By Tendai