Reviewed by DelphineM
on 07/07/2015 11:59

Colombian director Arango signs here a promising debut and a festivals' favourite. What stands out the most from LA PLAYA DC is the outstanding cinematography. Arango (who worked with cinematographer Nicolas Canniccioni) goes back and fourth between the rural origin of Tomas, the protagonist, and the urban feels in the streets of Bogota, where Tomas is looking for his brother. LA PLAYA DC achieves to immerse us in its environment, filled with elaborate haircut designs of Afro-Colombian teenagers who adopt this as a major part of their cultural identity and fashion. This coming-of-age story brings the light on an underrepresented community in the cinema world and the hip-hop soundtrack mirrors perfectly the spirit of the film and restlessness of the characters. Very nice discovery!