London Film Festival 2012: Violeta Went to Heaven Review

rating: 3

While you might not have heard of Chilean folk musician and all-round cultural icon Violeta Parra, that's not to say Andrés Wood doesn't do a bang-up job of introducing us to her in this stately, jovial ode to her life's work. By recreating one of her TV interviews and using it as a framing device to cherry-pick the most important moments of her life, we come to learn the fastidious, fiery and lyrical quality with which she chose to live her life, riffing on the joy of living, and the pain of heartbreak. Even those not typically privy to Chilean ditties are likely to appreciate some of the renditions of Parra's work here, which compliment what is certainly a fidgety account of her life and serve as the film's most broadly successful achievement. Francisca Gavilán's stellar performance encompasses the entirety of Parra's soul, and is powerful in its own right, juxtaposed with plenty of tragedy and beauty for maximum effect, namely the death of Parra's daughter while she was absent. Naturally, there is a built-in admiration for the oral history of these folk songs, of passing them down; it has an intimate quality for sure, though Violeta is also open-minded enough to appreciate the need to write them down and spread them to the world, even if those around her sometimes disagree. The reconstructed TV clips help to paint her as an intelligent and thoughtful being, candidly discussing family, national identity and love with thorough charm. Her singular demeanour also can't help but portray her as something of an eccentric, and occasionally a little obnoxious. The film's various relationships, and how they dictate the course of her musical output, ably demonstrates how life has a tendency to imitate art. The final contradicting scenes appreciate this power of music, while suggesting that it is not enough to be complete; we need a satisfying personal life too, and sadly, Violeta was deprived of that up to her untimely demise. Heartbreak, indeed, can be a killer. More enjoyable as an exploration of Parra's music than her life, and well-performed by lead Francisca Gavilán.
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.