Confesión a Laura
Encyclopedia
Confesión a Laura is a 1991
Colombian
drama film
directed by Jaime Osorio Gómez. The film is set during el Bogotazo, a violent rioting that erupted in Bogotá
after the assassination of presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán
on April 9, 1948. The story is about an oppressed husband, forced by the circumstances to spend the day at his neighbor’s home, a lonely, mature schoolteacher.
speaking to a large crowd. Following his assassination on April 9, 1948 a riot erupts. It is an uncontrollable manifestation of emotion, which grows bigger through the setting of fire to vehicles and buildings, which fall apart among clouds of ashes. The crowds full of anger, spread all over the streets of Bogotá, destroying everything they find in their way.
Among the chaos engulfing the city, Santiago Franco, a middle-aged government employee arrives to his apartment in downtown Bogotá. His wife Josefina is undisturbed by the revolt that has taken over the city. She has baked a birthday cake for her neighbor Laura, a spinster schoolteacher living in an apartment directly across from them. The overbearing Josefina is irritated by her husband insistence in the seriousness of the situation. Santiago listens intently to the radio, eager for news. The situation is getting worse. While people are being killed in the streets, Josefina tells her husband that he should go see if he can be of some help to the government. She adds: "I'd do it if I were you." She then tells Santiago to go across the street and up to Laura's apartment to deliver the birthday cake. It is Laura's birthday. Santiago objects, trying to show her the danger by having her look out the window at the street, where shots can be heard. When Josefina prepares to take the cake herself, Santiago is compelled into delivering the cake.
Barely managing to cross the street, when Santiago knocks on the door of Laura's apartment a loud explosion occurs and he is knocked to the floor. The cake is almost completely destroyed. Laura helps him to his feet. Soon after Josefina calls and talks to Santiago. She tells him to come back immediately after hearing that the riots are reaching their neighborhood. Santiago prepares to return home, but Laura reminds him of the danger. However, he chooses to believe his wife's insistence that the situation is not dangerous. Laura asks him a good question: "How does she know?" However, Santiago insists on obeying his wife. He tells Laura to come with him to his apartment. With some reluctance because of Josefina's attitude, she agrees. Just as they start to leave the apartment, many gunshots are heard. They look out the window to see people running frantically and they also see a dead man in the street. Sniper fire from the rooftops is adding to the dangers and they decide to stay.
Santiago tries to soothe Laura, who is very worried about what will happen to them. He has her sit down and he prepares some lemon balm tea for her. To kill time Santiago and Laura play cards and listen to some tango songs. Santiago is a good singer and he intones the songs of Carlos Gardel
. The couple begins to have a good time.
Away from the controlling ways of Josefina, Santiago and Laura, begin to talk. Laura is very different from Josefina. She is supportive rather than critical of Santiago. She wants to hear his opinions, as opposed to Josefina's wanting to dominate. They begin a relationship that seems to bring out the best in each other. What follows is an openness of their intimate feelings. Neither is she the respectable spinster that she would like to be nor is he the man he wish he would have been. Both have lived lives of pretensions.
When night arrives, they make love. A deep connection has occurred between them. Through the back of the building where she lives, Laura helps Santiago to escape to the streets into a new life. The next day things have calmed down in the city. Believing that her husband has been killed trying to cross the street back home, Josefina comes to Laura’s apartment crying. Laura hugs her.
, with English
subtitles.
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Jaime Osorio Gómez. The film is set during el Bogotazo, a violent rioting that erupted in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
after the assassination of presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala was a politician, a leader of a populist movement in Colombia, a former Education Minister and Labor Minister , mayor of Bogotá and one of the most charismatic leaders of the Liberal Party.He was assassinated during his second presidential campaign in 1948, setting off...
on April 9, 1948. The story is about an oppressed husband, forced by the circumstances to spend the day at his neighbor’s home, a lonely, mature schoolteacher.
Plot
Newsreel footage shows Colombian Presidential candidate, Jorge Eliécer GaitánJorge Eliécer Gaitán
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala was a politician, a leader of a populist movement in Colombia, a former Education Minister and Labor Minister , mayor of Bogotá and one of the most charismatic leaders of the Liberal Party.He was assassinated during his second presidential campaign in 1948, setting off...
speaking to a large crowd. Following his assassination on April 9, 1948 a riot erupts. It is an uncontrollable manifestation of emotion, which grows bigger through the setting of fire to vehicles and buildings, which fall apart among clouds of ashes. The crowds full of anger, spread all over the streets of Bogotá, destroying everything they find in their way.
Among the chaos engulfing the city, Santiago Franco, a middle-aged government employee arrives to his apartment in downtown Bogotá. His wife Josefina is undisturbed by the revolt that has taken over the city. She has baked a birthday cake for her neighbor Laura, a spinster schoolteacher living in an apartment directly across from them. The overbearing Josefina is irritated by her husband insistence in the seriousness of the situation. Santiago listens intently to the radio, eager for news. The situation is getting worse. While people are being killed in the streets, Josefina tells her husband that he should go see if he can be of some help to the government. She adds: "I'd do it if I were you." She then tells Santiago to go across the street and up to Laura's apartment to deliver the birthday cake. It is Laura's birthday. Santiago objects, trying to show her the danger by having her look out the window at the street, where shots can be heard. When Josefina prepares to take the cake herself, Santiago is compelled into delivering the cake.
Barely managing to cross the street, when Santiago knocks on the door of Laura's apartment a loud explosion occurs and he is knocked to the floor. The cake is almost completely destroyed. Laura helps him to his feet. Soon after Josefina calls and talks to Santiago. She tells him to come back immediately after hearing that the riots are reaching their neighborhood. Santiago prepares to return home, but Laura reminds him of the danger. However, he chooses to believe his wife's insistence that the situation is not dangerous. Laura asks him a good question: "How does she know?" However, Santiago insists on obeying his wife. He tells Laura to come with him to his apartment. With some reluctance because of Josefina's attitude, she agrees. Just as they start to leave the apartment, many gunshots are heard. They look out the window to see people running frantically and they also see a dead man in the street. Sniper fire from the rooftops is adding to the dangers and they decide to stay.
Santiago tries to soothe Laura, who is very worried about what will happen to them. He has her sit down and he prepares some lemon balm tea for her. To kill time Santiago and Laura play cards and listen to some tango songs. Santiago is a good singer and he intones the songs of Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
. The couple begins to have a good time.
Away from the controlling ways of Josefina, Santiago and Laura, begin to talk. Laura is very different from Josefina. She is supportive rather than critical of Santiago. She wants to hear his opinions, as opposed to Josefina's wanting to dominate. They begin a relationship that seems to bring out the best in each other. What follows is an openness of their intimate feelings. Neither is she the respectable spinster that she would like to be nor is he the man he wish he would have been. Both have lived lives of pretensions.
When night arrives, they make love. A deep connection has occurred between them. Through the back of the building where she lives, Laura helps Santiago to escape to the streets into a new life. The next day things have calmed down in the city. Believing that her husband has been killed trying to cross the street back home, Josefina comes to Laura’s apartment crying. Laura hugs her.
Reception
Critically praised, Confesión a Laura was nevertheless overlooked when first released in Colombia.DVD release
Confesión a Laura is available in Region 4 DVD, it also play in region 1. Audio in SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
subtitles.