(A Stonethrow Away. Mexico)
How far does one go to achieve his dream? Remember Paulo Coherlo’s Alchemist? The dream of a shepherd made him go places and finally finding the treasure ‘within’; well, here is a vague comparison (or interpretation?) of the same story but with a different title- A Stone Throw Away. The shepherd out here is a bit notorious; he steals money and crosses borders illegally. However, he dreams. He dreams to dig treasure amidst the snowy glaciers of America. One fine day, he decides to set out on a journey to make his dream come to reality (thanks to the key chain, which he finds near the highway). Facing troubles all through the way (shown quite aesthetically), he reaches the spot where he finds the treasure. This is where the twist comes- what is there in the treasure box- is not revealed, furthermore, the shepherd is discovered lying down in the shed that belongs to the family who accuses the shepherd for stealing the key chain and perhaps abducting their son! Oops, so, where did the whole ‘finding the treasure within’ vanish?
In a way, the film maker has indeed made an effort in generating empathy towards the protagonist. The journey’s end in this manner portrays the reality and practicality of today’s world, where there is no time to discover the inner self! The reality being that the owner of the key chain was missing (perhaps dead). The shepherd’s dream and his journey exists nowhere in the practical viscosity of life. He ends up in an integration chamber and not discovering ‘the treasure within’. Thus the film that started with a dream, ends with the shepherd leading his goats (doing his job). Perhaps this is the real treasure in today’s practical work- the job we do and the reality we dwell in.
There are many important moments in the film. The scene where he decides to follow his dream looking at the key chain, or where he gets robbed and calls the prostitute from last night, make the viewers feel for the character. The cinematography needs a special mention. The use of the jerky camera movements gave the film a raunchy feel, being in an organic unity with the script. The absence of a definitive sound track and the use of the natural sound continuously remind the viewer about the harsh reality of the society. The side actors were however, a major let down who couldn’t come in par with the protagonist (Jacinto Medina).
The title- A Stone Throw Away is a paradox, aptly chosen to describe the distance covered by a dreamer in a journey to achieve his dream.
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