Gasolina Julio Hernández Cordón

There is a certain reoccurrence in the history of Latin American; when we believe that in a given country there is no cinema, a film appears and everything changes. Patterns break and this opens a way for more productions. Of course, a prize at an international festival is needed, otherwise it will be overlooked. Then, thanks to the awarded film, a sense of filmmaking awakes, a law on cinema appears together with a national film centre, and new films will start to see the light.

The majority of Latin American countries have passed through this process, even though they are in different stages of development (in some, like in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, we can even talk of an industry). Guatemala is a clear example of this phenomenon, and the "revolutionary" film in this case is Gasolina, the debut of Julio Hernández Cordón. Three teenagers, Nano, Gerardo and Raymundo, enjoy life without the codes that bind it and without a clear goal. Only their friendship matters, and even if this is sometimes at stake, it fortunately comes out victorious.

One of the three friends has a car, but no gasoline, so they steal some to be able to drive around. On that particular day, each has to face hardships: a respiratory problem for one, the consequence of leaving his friend’s sister pregnant at 14 years for the other; the issue for all to find money in order to feel more secure is mixed with loneliness on the streets of Guatemala. All that we see is shot in natural light, for Gasolina is all natural, because of Guatemalan cinema being almost nonexistent. Cordón’s first feature represents thus "the moment" of the country: all the prizes it has collected are the start of a growing story; today Guatemala begins with gasoline… tomorrow the engines will come.

Carlos Fidel Intriago