Miami Films Showcased at Miami Film Festival

Last night, I watched the screenings of “Liberty City is Like Paris to Me” and “¡Fuácata!” at the Tower Theater in Little Havana. The intimate evening started a little late, as to be expected in Miami, but was well worth it in the end. For any lover of Miami, these two films are sure to please as they focus on two very different and interesting aspects of the city. As an added bonus, we were able to see both of the directors speak and engage in a question and answer session immediately following the two films.

The first film, “Liberty City is Like Paris to Me,” is directed by Bruce Weber. He parallels his experiences in present day Liberty City to his younger days in Paris. When he was a young film student, his professors told him that he needed to go to Paris, so he did. Once in Paris, Bruce Weber filmed everything around him with great enthusiasm and wonderment. He went on to become a very famous photographer, shooting for GQ, Vanity Fair, and Vogue. Some years down the road, he ended up in Liberty City with a camera, and found that everyone was very open to him. He felt encouraged and invigorated and began making friends and taking new pictures.

Weber showed the ups and downs of life in Liberty City, but stayed focus on the positives for most of the film. The viewers saw jubilation and triumph in the faces of the residents during the parade organized in honor of President Obama’s inauguration. The lyrics of Sammy Davis, Jr play through one scene: “I got plenty o’ nuttin, and nuttin’s plenty for me.”
These words really reflect the attitude of the people featured in this film. They have endured years of poverty, injustice and racism, but they still live life to the fullest and embrace each day. Scenes of dancers and free runners are interspersed throughout the film, giving the various street locations some energy and grace. Although the film is slightly unorganized and jumps from scene to scene with little connection between the two, the message is simple. The last line of the film is a poignant voiceover by Bruce Weber, saying, that all this film wants is “just a little bit of understanding, love and encouragement for the soul.”

The second film of the evening, “¡Fuácata!” was a documentary about local Miami music group, The Spam Allstars. The members of this dynamic group all had an interesting story to tell about their journey to form this iconic group. Three of the members fled from Cuba many years ago. Lazaro Alfonso defected to Guatemala before coming to Miami, Mercedes Abal defected to Miami and Tomas Diaz spent two years in jail in Cuba for singing a tribute to Jimi Hendrix before he was sent on a ship to Key West during the Mariel Boatlift. The other members have diverse backgrounds, as well; DJ Le Spam comes from Canada, AJ Hill comes from Overtown, while Steve Welsh was a former University of Miami student, on a full music scholarship.

“¡Fuácata!” describes how all of these musicians came together, against all odds, and formed one of Miami’s oldest and most famous groups. Named after their Thursday night residency at Hoy Como Ayer, “¡Fuácata!” features scenes of their shows, personal interviews, and even some footage of their travels around the world. The sound quality of the music would have been my biggest complaint of it all. The Spam Allstars have such a strong, full sound during their live performances, but I feel that some of the bass and percussion were lost during the filming. However, nothing can compare to seeing the Spam Allstars play live. If you have never heard them play before, you are truly missing out. They play at Hoy Como Ayer every Thursday as well as other various venues and concerts around Miami and the world.

If you are interested in seeing these films, they will be shown again on Sunday evening at 7pm in Regal South Beach 10.