By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Alejandro Landes
Starring: Jarlinsson Ramirez | Porfirio Ramirez | Yor Jasbleidy Santos
Country: argentina, colombia, spain, uruguay
Year: 2012
Running time: 101
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1774531/
Bruce says: “PORFIRIO is a fictionalization of a story about a man who is the only known disabled person in a wheelchair to hijack an airplane. Porfirio was shot by police under suspicious circumstances; for years he tried to get restitution from the state. Porfirio (Porfirio Ramirez) is played by himself. Director Alejandro Landes gathered Porfirio and the other two actors who play his son and lover/caretaker and rented a house in Florencia, a town in Southern Colombia where he decided to film the story and which is described as the last outpost before the Amazon. For five months they lived in the house together until filming began.
“Porfirio sleeps on a cot in a hallway of the house. He hollers, ‘I wet myself and need a bath.’ His son (Jarlinsson Ramirez)
takes him into an enclosed bathing patio and proceeds to douse Porfirio with water. He kneels in front of the wheelchair and the two butt heads in a bizarre ritual. Then it becomes apparent Porfirio is taking a dump by pushing his ass between the seat and the back of the chair. Porfirio’s days are slow and dull; nothing much ever goes on in the small town and every little task is a supreme effort for a paraplegic. He basks in the sun next to the front door ramp. He has a cottage industry going – he rents minutes on his cell phone to the villagers who need to make calls but cannot afford a phone of their own. He saves every penny he makes, presumably for use on a rainy day.
“Some days his caretaker (Yor Jasbleidy Santos) washes him and they have sex as they bathe one another. Other times she slips into his bed quietly as though the son hasn’t a clue about what she and Porfirio are doing. Porfirio is becoming impatient with the social services in Colombia. He has heard nothing about the complaint he has filed against the state. He summons all his
effort to roll himself through the streets of Florencia to the bureau entitled Demandas Contra El Estada. Porfirio has to throw stones at the windows to get someone to come to the door and let him in. He waits patiently all day for the commissioner to return from his errands but at the end of the day the commissioner is not coming to the office after all. Porfirio feels that, ‘The dog is the only one who hasn’t betrayed me.’
“And the tedium continues. The days roll by and no word from social services. One day a travelling salesman calls on Porfirio
and Porfirio arranges to purchase two hand grenades. His plan is to use them. But how?
“Alejandro Landes tells his story with humor and compassion. His minimalist style is perfect for capturing the pain and frustration of someone confined to a wheelchair and reliant on others for most of his basic functions. Billed as a fusion of biopic and cinéma vérité, PORFIRIO is heartwarming, horrifying and amusing – a fabulous blend. 5 cats
“(Alejandro Landes is one of four directors selected for the Directors to Watch Program at the 2012 Miami International Film Festival.)”