Fat, Bald, Short Man (Gordo, Calvo y Bajito) Carlos Os Una, Colombia, 2011, 97 minutes
Lonesome, middle-aged virgin Antonio Farfán is picked on and ridiculed as a matter of course, whether by coworkers or his bullying mooch of a brother (who only calls when he needs money). An employee at a notary office, his status improves a bit when his new boss—and strangely affable doppelgänger—takes an interest in him. But Farfán’s deep-seated shyness and insecurity are only partly assuaged. And when he joins a self-improvement group, he slowly confirms what the undulating lines of this sly, involving rotoscope story suggest: everything is in motion, and change is inevitable. The question becomes what use one makes of it. Spanish, with English subtitles.
Global Lens 2012 is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Each film in the series is selected for its authentic voice, strong cinematics and unique cultural perspective, opening a window to the diverse world in which we live. More information can be found at www.globalfilm.org.