Hidden Away (2014)

I began watching this little known film only because of its gay love story, not expecting it to be anything remarkable. It is not, but I was quite surprised to find a decently good story with a handful of talented young debuting actors that made a great impression on me and left me rooting for the two main characters. Being shot in a semi-documentary style and entirely on location, it gives the story a feel of authenticity, and the youngsters are so natural before the camera, so Spanish-teenage in the way they speak, joke, horseplay, swear, talk dirty and quarrel that it took me back to my own teenage years. The only fault that I find is that the two main characters are supposed to be 14-16 years old, but it is pretty obvious that the actors are at least 18-19 and that can't fool anyone, come on. The age of consent in Spain currently is 14 years both for straight and gay sex, but it looks like the filmmaker was afraid of stepping over the PC-crap line or something had he used actors of that age. There is no sex scenes at all in this film, only a few harmless kiss shots. In the 1964 French film "Les Amities Particulieres" (This Special Friendship), a 17-18 year-old boarding school senior pupil falls in love with a cherubic 12-year-old junior. And Didier Haudepin was only 13 when he made the film. We are moving backwards.

In the world heavily dominated by film works coming from English- speaking countries, it is, from time to time, interesting to get the feel what's going on in other areas. Spain is certainly not an unknown country regarding films, but most of its directors are too sophisticated for me. The advanced information I obtained regarding A escondidas and its "normal" duration made me dedicate the time to it.Coming of age and out in a country with a high number of not-like- minded immigrant and refugee communities should be a basis for an intense and versatile story where different aspects of human values and understanding can be disclosed in catchy ways. In my opinion, the filmmakers here have not exploited their options in full: the tune and aims are set forth too plainly, and there are discrepancies between the pace and the use of flashbacks, often disturbing to comprehend the course of events. The choice of young actors is great, but there is a limited development of characters, many interesting benchmarks remain in-process until the end. But as I mentioned, I am not among the target audience, and for certain juveniles, it is apparently a good work to follow. However, the possible audience could be limited by the fact that it has been proclaimed as a LGBT film, although it is far from being a primary topic and mode of expression here.

I found Hidden Away on a list of LGBT movies from 2014. I guess it is that, technically and in the barest sense, but it's so much more.I didn't know what I expected going in but it certainly wasn't what I got coming out of it. I think I'm so used to these young/coming of age films being stereotyped to the hilt that I imagined this would be yet another one of those. Boy was I wrong. Even as I write this, I still don't really know what to say.Firstly, it's a lovely film about friendship. The friendship that blossoms between two unlikely characters. The friendship between two best friends going down separate paths. And the realization that just because you belong to the same social group, it doesn't mean that the people within that group represent you or your beliefs. For Rafa, and Ibra too to a lesser extent, it's a lesson that is learned throughout the film.It's interesting how their lives mirror each other in this respect yet for all that it's similar, it's also extremely different. Rafa has a nice, if tediously repetitive, life with school, a full social calendar and parents he either dislikes(father) or finds annoying(mother). Ibra, on the other hand, is a literal fish out of water. Not only is he alone, with no family or community for support, but he's in a land that rejects him for something that's beyond his control. He's forced to do things that compromise who he is in order to survive. And he says repeatedly in the film that he has no friends. Until, one day, he does. I have to say that my favourite friendship in the film is the one between Rafa and Guille. He was the only good one in the bunch, the only one Rafa acknowledges as a real friend. From the beginning to the end, Guille is always there keeping watch, sometimes literally over Rafa's shoulder.Secondly, the film brings light to the Xenophobic policies and attitudes of many countries. Ibra and others like him, who came to the country and have been there for many years, face deportation under the guise of repatriation: a sudden "discovery" of a distant family member that no one has ever seen or heard of. Except, miraculously, the government. The movie Xenia, another "gay" film, addresses the same issue, with a pair of brothers, one who happens to be gay, facing deportation despite being born in the country within which they reside. The overtly racist attitudes of the people, often violent, is exemplified by the multiple clashes between Rafa and Ibra's social groups. That and the suspicious nature of every clerk/store owner whenever Ibra or one of his "kind" walks into their business.Now, for the "love" story. Is there one? Certainly. But anyone expecting or hoping for passionate embraces, torrid make out sessions or any kind of nudity/sex is going to be sorely disappointed. But that's honestly what I love about it. What few moments of affection they share (that aren't disguised as roughhousing) are tentative and all the more sweet for it. Keep in mind that these characters are supposed to be kids still. Rafa's "friends" constantly pressure him to be with a particular girl who likes him, to have sex with her because that's what they're supposed to want to do at their age. The girl is willing and Rafa tries at one point but ultimately he ends up where he truly wants to be: with Ibra.There were far too many insurmountable obstacles so it's not really surprising that the movie had the ending that it did. I often moan about gay/gay-youth films having bad/unhappy endings but this one was truly unavoidable. For what it's worth, the ending was really touching, though. Sad but perfect.In conclusion, this film is for everyone. It's beautifully directed and acted (major props to the young actors, especially Rafa/German), it deals with important issues, thus it's also educational, and it has the ability to reach a variety of audiences. If you're looking for a gay-themed film and you're concerned that the lack of romance will make this a waste of time, trust me: you won't feel that way by the end.

When you have a fantastic script, a serious director and the perfect cast it's almost impossible not to make a good film. Well, with A Escondidas (Hidden Away... not the best translation) Director Mikel Rueda set a new standard.The story is overwhelming in a subtle, almost muted sense, but overwhelming anyway. The sound landscapes, the colours, the music, and some almost illogical sequences push the audience into a roller-coaster of unnerving feelings and cast a deep shadow not seen but felt throughout the journey of the film. That journey will leave scars, that may heal someday with love. It's a journey of self-discovery, of life, of hate, of love. The characters will get you to places you don't want to go, but you have to, you simply can't shake the grip of their hands... they want to show you what's going on inside them.Some scenes are masterful pieces of acting. There will be a moment in which your heart will explode with emotions and that can't be helped, nor undone. You'll be smitten. You'll be pulled in a world you don't want to know anything about, yet -you will. Calling these young actors superb is not an overstatement. It's exactly what they are. Maybe the most beautiful thing is revealing what's happening inside your soul through your eyes, and these kids did it without flinching. Not only believable, they are real.Carrying most of the weight of the film is Germán Alcarazu when he was 15 playing the part of Rafa . Pairing with best friend Guille (Joseba Ugalde) and new Moroccan friend Ibra (Adil Koukouh), he's our guide. Their friends will show us what denial and real love are about.Since my intention is not to reveal the story, please watch the film. You'll be rewarded with pure magic.