Two South American ex-pats published books in 2012 in the U.S. that deal with identity and the nature of fiction.
Eduardo Halfan's The Polish Boxer is a blend of fiction, memoir, past & present. Halfan was born in Guatemala, moved at 10 with his family to the US, studied industrial engineering & then spent seven years teaching literature in Guatemala. He now lives in Nebraska. As The Polish Boxer opens, the narrator, a Guatemalan writer names Eduardo Halfan, is ferreting out his roots through his grandfather, an Auschwitz survivor. In loosely related chapters, the story then focuses on Halfan's obsession with a classical pianist, Milan Radik, who is half-Serbian, half-gypsy and therefore accepted by neither. As Halfon tracks him, the pianist tries to delve into gypsy music, but he meets a lot of resistence because he's essentially a "Muggle", half-breed. They are both searching for who they are and who they might become. The book really comes alive in the Radik chapters, with some wonderful insights into music, performance, & the varieties of musical experience.
Alberto Manguel's All Men are Liars looks at identity through the prism of other people's perceptions. Manguel was born in Argentina and spent his childhood in Isreal when his father was ambassador. As a teen back in Argentina, he read to the nearly blind Borges, which must have been quite an experience. As an adult he had been a globe trotter, living in London, Paris, Toronto, becoming a Canadian citizen. He settled in France, where he renovated a medieval presbytery, including a library for his 30,000 books -- I like this guy! Liars is narrated by several people who relate to a journalist their impressions & experiences of a writer who recently fell to his death in unusual circumstances. I don't enjoy the multiple viewpoint structure, but that's a matter of taste. Part of the point is how different these perceptions & memories can be. However, to me in some way they were not that different. Over the course of these observations, written in the form of letters, many plot twists are slowly revealed as the story travels between Argentina and Spain. In the final chapter, the journalist speaks about this project, & essentially guides the reader to how to think about this stew of memory, identity, fiction. I think it would have been a better book without this chapter. Most of the characters are writers, poets, editors. So, the other thread of this identity tapestry is writing & fiction. If you love to read, it can be a rich mix.
Directed by Angelina Jolie? I was prepared to be disappointed, but I was astounded. This is accomplished film making: great directing, acting, & script, so kudos to Ms. Jolie. It is an important film that deals with terrible issues in today's world: the atrocities committed in sectarian violence and especially the brutalities against women, in this case in the Serbian/Bosnian catastrophe. Jolie never uses the subject as a blunt instrument, there is no gratuitous violence thrust in your face. She shows just enough to let the viewer know that countless horrors occurred. Zana Marjanovic and Goran Kostic are the impressive actors at the fulcrum of the story. Kostic is a soldier carrying out the orders of his hate-filled father, and Marjanovic is one of the women imprisoned by him. Jolie creates a remarkable dance between them, of passion, hatred, trust, betrayal.
Unfortunately, this skillfully crafted film with an crucial message barely made a ripple. By contrast, another big topic movie, Milk made a huge splash, but was a deeply flawed film. I suppose it got a hall pass due to the important subject matter. But, I wish that the subject had been handled in a much better film. For example, starting with the the opening scene: film making's weakest device, the voiceover, this time spoken into a tape recorder, and repeated throughout the film: dreadful. If you can't advance the story through acting & action, then you should get another director. Harvey Milk deserved better. I'm guessing that the Brangelina schtick helped push Blood & Honey to the sidelines. I almost didn't see it. You should.
