Paz Fábrega’s film begins with the last lines of a poem by Octavio Paz: “Todo es del viento y el viento es aire siempre de viaje.” Like the metaphor implies, Viaje is full of delicate surprises that dematerialize as soon as one tries to grasp them. Yet, it’s the very act of seizing that is so delicious equally as it is self-defeating.
Luciana catches Pedro’s eye on the dance floor of a costume party. At first his advances turn her off but Luciana quickly thinks, “Fuck it” and decides to go home with him. Sex, however, slides to the periphery of their flirtations and progressively incendiary chemistry. Their exchanges teeter right on the edge of romance but they never allow themselves to fall. For Luciana and Pedro, love is an abyss they suspect is lined with concrete. The fear and euphoria of walking the edge glistens like a saber, as it has (and still does) for so many of us who have eschewed traditional values for something bigger, less gendered, life-affirming, kinetic, and in so doing perhaps re-delineating the boundaries of “love.”
Though the story focuses on Luciana and Pedro, the film is actually a threesome with the audience playing an equal role. Shot primarily in medium shots and close-ups, we are allowed to think ourselves into the narrative; to feel as though we too are being whispered sweet nothings in our ears. Viaje freely uses montage to quickly and efficiently deepen Pedro and Luciana’s connection. The camera breezily follows the characters as they skip, climb and run through some of Costa Rica’s beautiful landscapes, their feelings morphing from solid to liquid to gas throughout their brief affair. Shot in luminous black and white, the frame attempts to trap the very air it seeks to champion within large swaths of negative and positive space.
The wind is only recognized by its effect, one that grows more noticeable the more malleable the surface. It appears effortless and wistful, as does the film itself.
Here is a recipe for the perfect fling according to Paz Fábrega’s Viaje.
Viaje is playing the Tribeca Film Festival which runs from April 15 – 26, 2015. We’ve partnered with Tribeca to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the Latino talent at this year’s fest. Follow our coverage on remezcla.com and tribecafilm.com.