Cast: Tiara Richards, Felix de Rooy, Everon Jackson Hooi
Keywords: culture clash, tradition, spiritualism,
6.9/10
Buladó Storyline
Kenza, young and headstrong, lives on a junkyard in the countryside of Curaçao with her father, Ouira, and grand- father, Weljo. The two men are true polar opposites: Ouira is a determined, rational police officer, while Weljo identifies with the island’s spirituality and native inhabitants. As Weljo wishes to prepare his passing to the world of spirits, the relationship between Ouira and Weljo starts to escalate and eleven-year-old Kenza searches for her own path between the two extremes. The down-to-earth mentality of Ouira no longer offers her all that she needs and, slowly, she opens up to the more mystical and comforting traditions of her grandfather.
This Netherlands Antilles/Dutch picture is absolutely stunning, and I will certainly keep a vivid memory of it. The three lead actors – playing a young girl, her father, and her grandfather – all give strong performances, and the cinematography makes the image of this film’s events, and the landscape of Curaçao, last.
Buladó is about opposites. Between movement and structure. Between realism and magic. Between pragmatism and idealism. Between the recent globalization and ancient local traditions. But, ultimately, it is the love for each other that unites the family, winning over grief.
