By José Gandue @Gandour
Last year we selected The Ancient Astronauts from the Chilean band Portugal Among our favorite albums of 2017 in Latin America. We were talking about this group, emphasizing one of its most distinctive qualities: We said that his thing was to excite his followers and upset his enemies, but never to go unnoticed. There are those (and we respect their opinions) who feel that Portugal's work borders on the saccharine and that the vocal drama can be exasperating. We believe, however, that their work lies precisely in that vein, where they manage to showcase a particular elegance that tastes of tenderness throughout her songs.
From the beginning of its journey, Portugal has made a constant effort to to achieve a touching grace in his work and in his entire aesthetic, both in its sound work and its visual material. Therefore, since the announcement of its release, we were eagerly awaiting the premiere of its short film, also called The Ancient Astronauts. This work, which lasts ten minutes, It has a script that can be classified as science fiction, It tells the story of a futuristic being called "Oopart," who communicates across time with "Lucy-A," whom he guides on a mission to revive the human race. Starring actress Luna Martínez and directed by Pedro Campos, the story unfolds during the time frame in which three songs by the band play: Pixel, Violent Times II y For Every New Song.
The first thing that impresses about this production is its photography. Through stunning drone shots of the Atacama Desert and the Quintay forests, a unique atmosphere of despair and loneliness is created, immediately drawing the viewer into a tense experience. Martínez's strong performance and the meticulous attention to detail in the camera work lend power to the final result. The suspenseful plot blends perfectly with the chosen themes., making us think that these songs were made for this video project And not for an album released over a year ago. The editing is straightforward and clever in its decision to be more emotional than narrative. It remains a music video, despite its unique characteristics, and continues to promote the music as its main element, but its risk-taking and beauty are worthy of celebration, and this material can be watched repeatedly with or without sound.
As an attractive point, we must mention that this short film was made with funding from the state-run Music Fund, demonstrating that Government participation in these types of projects brings interesting benefits, worthy of being imitated in the rest of the continent. In short, this is a good piece of work that, in its development and completion, has enough elements to keep this band, one of the best in our hemisphere right now, on our radar.
