When Susana learns that her husband of many decades has abandoned her, she is disconsolate. Life is joyless, bland and empty. In desperation, she reaches out to her neighbor Gloria, a high-spirited soul who could help her heal the wound. Yet Susana despises Gloria for all the reasons the younger woman could help. It is a vortex of suffering, and neither words nor possible friends are enough to help Susana really live again.
Mexico City-born Director Marlen Rios-Farjat has a discerning touch in Living All of Life (Vivir Today la Vida). The acting is intimate and nuanced, and elements of cinematography such as lighting, movement and color are woven carefully into the narrative. Susana's fragility is held in relief to the vibrancy and possibility of the city, showing how people can be influenced by their environments and given circumstances. There is much for cinephiles to admire here.
Then there is the music. An original work by Emiliano Suarez follows the story, entering and exiting, then entering again. The song in this short film is a touchstone of life, a form of expression that conveys Susana's inner life as she grows and manifests.
Living All of Life is a student project from Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica, A.C.. Given the maturity of the work, you would never know it had an educational origin. The movie will play with English subtitles, and the accompanying music video for the song will screen separately in Spanish only. You can watch the trailer here (Spanish, without subtitles):
