SIFF Sighting: THE MEXICAN SUITCASE (Documentary, Mexico)

What if your work or work of art at the height of your career went missing only to turn up five decades later?

That's what happened to three photographers who shot 126 rolls of film during the Spanish Civil War. And though the photojournalists are no longer with us, their haunting images of that time survived completely intact in a Mexican closet. How they got from France (which is where they were last seen) to Mexico remains a mystery.

The three boxes that were found were nicknamed "The Mexican Suitcase," and that's where this illuminating documentary gets its name.

Aside from showing countless images from the boxes (now restored and safely residing at The International Center of Photography), the film tells the stories behind photographers David “Chim” Seymour, Gerda Taro, and Robert Capa.

What's great about the narrative is that even if you're not a history buff, or particularly fascinated by photography, the story is rich and presented in a beautiful way.

It's essentially a time capsule brought to life.

The Mexican Suitcase will screen at the 38th Annual Seattle International Film Festival. For tickets, visit the SIFF website.

Cinebanter #70 - SIN NOMBRE

The MP3 of Cinebanter #70 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula cross the border with the hopeful immigrants of SIN NOMBRE. In the Last Five®, Michael becomes a Klingon, while Tassoula is brought to tears by a Disney movie. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 SIN NOMBRE Discussion
• Break
• 19:09 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 20:08 The Last Five®
• 1:04:59 Credits and Outtake

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: TAKEN, THIS IS ENGLAND, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, YEAR OF THE DOG and STAR TREK. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: STICK IT IN DETROIT, EARTH, RENDITION, ALMOST FAMOUS and JUPITER'S WIFE.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!