Underplayed Gems

American Visa (2005)

American Visa poster
Directed by
Juan Carlos Valdivia
Genre
drama film, romance film
Country
Bolivia
Runtime
1h 40m
Rated
C
Rating
6.6 of 10 from 27 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A retired English teacher leaves his small town life in Bolivia and travels to La Paz to get a visa for the United States. He wants to reunite with his son and start over, and he befriends an exotic dancer while he tries everything he can to make his dream happen.

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What happens

American Visa is a 2005 Bolivia/Mexico-produced film written and directed by Juan Carlos Valdivia and based on Juan de Recacoechea's novel. The film is set in La Paz, Bolivia, and features many exterior shots of the city and surrounding countryside. Mario is a retired English teacher from the Bolivian countryside. Leaving his career, his home, his town and his past, he sets out to follow his dream of seeing the United States. Mario hopes to become a part of the American dream; America to him is opportunity, stability, and a place to escape from his old life and reunite with his now adult son. Mario arrives in La Paz in order to secure a travel visa for the US. Once there, he meets and befriends Blanca, an exotic dancer at the local strip club. But Mario is a diligent man, and he is willing to revert to any measure possible to obtain that one thing which he wants most: a life in the United States. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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