A THOUSAND CLOUDS OF PEACE FENCE THE SKY, LOVE; YOUR BEING LOVE WILL NEVER END

Mexico, 2002, 80 minutes, Black and white.
Juan Carlos Ortuno.
Directed by Julian Hernandez.

A Thousand Clouds was written and directed by Mexican Julian Hernandez. He wrote a number of short films and directed some of them in the 1990s. This is his first feature.

It won the Teddy award at the Panorama section in Berlin in 2003.

The film is a brief glimpse of a young man in Mexico City, his breaking a relationship with a friend, his wandering the city looking in search of new relationships. This is not entirely dissimilar to Hernandez’s next film, Broken Sky, a much more elaborate film. The perspective is homosexual, taking for granted orientations and behaviour in the characters. This is not quite as explicit in its presentation of sexual behaviour as is his subsequent film, Broken Sky.

1. Small-budget and experimental film? For festival audiences? Arthouse audiences? Gay audiences?

2. The location photography in Mexico City, the streets, the poorer sections? Black and white photography? Musical score, songs?

3. The title, the focus on Gerardo, his emotional experiences, growing up, sexual orientation, activity? The theme of love, unrequited love, the separation from Bruno? His seeking him? Dying from lack of affection?

4. The style of the film, hand-held camera, long focuses on Gerardo and the other characters? His walking in silence, being alone? The sexual sequences?

5. The introduction of Gerardo, with the man in the car, his being sick, driving home, being paid, throwing the money away? His not having a home? Working in the pool hall, his own apartment, alone there? The meeting with Bruno, the attraction, the relationship, Bruno going, the letter? His quest and asking people about the letter? The other men that he encountered, the five-minute stands? The pregnant young woman in the café and her liking him, listening to him?

6. The impassive nature of the central character, his seeming lack of personality? Credible for his behaviour?

7. Bruno, the brief glimpses of him, the relationship with Gerardo, the mystery of his going?

8. The young woman, the restaurant, her friendship, listening to him, his response to the baby?

9. The episode where Gerardo was looking for the record, his singing it, the women helping him to find it, his playing it?

10. The finale, the comment about his not having affection, his mother's distance from him when he visited her? Not able to find Bruno? Collapsing from lack of affection?