HOLIDAY/ FERIADO
Ecuador, 2014, 82 minutes, Colour.
Juan Arregui, Diego Adres Paredes.
Directed by Diego Aurejo.
Holiday is a brief film from Ecuador, set in a financial crisis at the end of the 20th century, a banker under pressure sends his son to the Andes to relations for holiday.
The bully is rather quiet while his cousins are very boisterous and he finds friendship with a local lad and he saves from attack. They spend some time together, the local boy diving into a waterfall pool and encouraging his new friend.
What happens is that the boy begins to discover something more about his identity, his attractions and feelings, sexuality and his sexual orientation.
While the film explores some of these themes, it does not take them very far, with the boy experiencing rejection.
1. A film from Ecuador? A humane story?
2. The settings, the Andes, the town, the homes, the shops, the countryside, the waterfall and the pool? The musical score?
3. A story of an adolescent, Juan Pablo within his family, his broader family, his shyness, capacity for relationships, his encountering Juano, saving him, the awakening of his affections, the issue of his sexuality and orientation? Isolation, ridicule, rejection?
4. Situation, Juan Pablo going to the family, Anita leaving, his being by himself, the holiday, the uncle and aunt, their care, the boisterous cousins, overbearing for the boy?
5. His father, the bank, failure, financial crisis, trying to cope, his own attitudes? The reaction of the ordinary people, condemnation, losses?
6. The encounter with Juano, the bike rides, the friendship, going to the river, diving and the exhilaration, sunbaking on the rock? The effect on Juan?
7. The boys’ continued meeting, enjoying each other’s company, the different encounters? The Juano and his family, jobs, prospects?
8. Juan Pablo and his approach, the rejection, the effect on him?
9. Going to find Juano, the hut, his opening the door, with the girl, slamming the door in Juan’s face?
10. Juan, the effect of this experience, shaping his future?
11. A sympathetic presentation of an adolescent trying to find himself – and the response of an adolescent audience?
