7 Boxes

In 7 Boxes you are taken to the slums of Ausución, Paraguay where everyone is trying to survive. Suddenly Victor is given a break, he is a 17 year old wheelbarrow delivery boy who is given the task to deliver and take care of 7 boxes. What happens next a series of unexpected twists and turns. This movie takes you to the underground world, where the chaos bellow the calm surface is uncovered. It is in Spanish mixed in with several dialects and all with subtitles. The movies themes are loyalty, adventure and what exactly will you do when you life is on the line. I thought it was really crazy how this underworld carried out their own form of justice and the strongest always seems to survive. Saw this film as part of the Atlanta Film Festival.

This may be the first film I've seen from Paraguay although coincidentally it's neighbor, Argentina, has a highly regarded film industry that produces exception films. This film shows us, with it's imaginative narrative, a Paraguayan economy that is agricultural; marketplace driven; high income inequality where age (as in India for example) is no barrier to labor for survival. So what is the story? A young, high school age, man plies the market streets daily with his wheelbarrow asking shoppers & merchants if he can earn a few Guarani (the exchange numbers to US dollars will show you the inflationary pressures just to be able to afford a small meal) to haul their merchandise. His decision making shows a lack of formal education and his poverty shows a lack of resources e.g. even a cell phone. His only other exposure to technology is seeing a TV in a shop window where he imagines himself to be on the screen. Though a series of comedic and tragic missteps his dream is about to become reality. Acting, directing, cinematography, script, all on a low budget - well done!

With both substance and style. Plenty of style here. We are taken through the maze of a large market place in Paraguay. And the plot – revolving around the main character (who is well played by Celso Franco) – is also a maze with many twists and turns. We are kept guessing as to what will happen next. The characters are all well done – and so are their interactions.

It's a swell film to watch with a reasonably good resolution. I can just imagine what Hollywood would do with this – pouring in loads of explosions and over-the-top gunfights. Instead we get a minimal exposure of violence – and instead of massive noise we get character development.

Victor is a teenage boy who works as a wheelbarrow puller in a market of Paraguay, he is been so obsessed about buying a camera phone and also being a Television star. Once he gets a job to deliver 7 boxes with some unknown content for 100$ which is enough to buy a phone. But the deal is that, he will only get the money once he finish the job. Things get messy along the way and unknowingly he becomes a part of crime.

Its a full of chaos thriller with some unpredictable turns and good performance. Good choice for those who explore something different.

What I appreciated the most about this movie was the outstandingly well crafted screenplay. As a foundation to the story, the socio-economical setting is very clearly established from the very beginning as well as each character's background and motivations. With such solid dramatic pillars, the story unfolds organically. No character is good, bad or stereotyped, their actions are a consequence of their history, their situation and their motivations. In the best style of Greek tragedy, the story brings us to discover how characters are unexpectedly connected and how seemingly casual acts have strong and logic consequences.

The direction is very innovative and fresh in camera angles and editing that match well the techno-tropical music.

I would put it up in the same category and caliber with City of Good as a sample of the best of Latin-American cinema.