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January 15, 2023 – In this autobiographical film about Rebeca Huntt made by Rebeca Huntt contains a long list of complaints about everything, including her family, particularly her brother, Juancarlos, who once gave her the silent treatment for two years.
I kept on wondering, as I watched this film, why would anyone make a movie about this woman? What has she accomplished in her life that makes her of interest to a wide audience? Aside from her physical beauty, she seems pretty ordinary. Well, it turns out that she has made some films, including “Beba,” but there is nothing in this film about how she managed to accomplish this.
How she managed to raise the money to make a film like this, aside from Kickstarter, and how she managed to make her first two short films, “¡Hay Coro!” and “1-800-Lovable,” are not mentioned at all in this film. Instead this is a naval-gazing film about introspection, identity and how she relates to society.
Rebeca (nicknamed, Beba) states her thesis near the opening of the film, saying, “You are now entering my universe. I am the lens. The subject. The authority. As a product of the New World, violence lives in my DNA. I carry an ancient pain that I struggle to understand. I use it to hurt those closest to me.”
She continues, “Every one of us inherits the curses of our ancestors. But we may put an end to this cycle by constantly going to war with ourselves. I'm watching the curses of my family slowly kill us. So I'm going to war. And there will be casualties.”
In this film she uses actors to recreate scenes from her life, including one in which she challenges white people who try to tell her about the black experience in America. She rages about this, and what she calls “Respectabilty politics.” She says “There is nothing honorable about trying to assimilate into a system that is designed to destroy you.”
She reflects on her family history. A black father with regal bearing, born in the Dominican Republic during the dictatorial reign of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, who was assassinated in 1961 (the CIA was involved). He also lived through the Dominican Civil War. After arriving in the U.S., he attended Woodstock. Beba's mother, from Venezuela, raised her children in the same tradition she was raised, causing friction with Beba.
Of her family history, Beba says, “On my mother's side, Venezolanos pass down passion, resilience and crippling delusion. On my father's side, Dominicanos pass down courage, ambition and abusive rage.” She also talks about her first romance, with a man named George, who suffers from bipolar disorder. She says, “Three months after we break up, he jumps off the George Washington Bridge near the park where we had our first date.”
Beba also complains about how she missed an important meeting because of her brother. She says, “A friend gets me an interview at a prestigious production company. The night before, I call dibs on the first shower. When I wake up to get ready, my brother runs in front of me and locks the door.
“First, I ask nicely. No response. He turns on the shower and puts music on. When I knock again, the music gets louder. I beg my mom to intervene. I sink into a blind rage as I watch the hour of the interview come and go. Mommy scolds me for banging on the door. I turn around and choke her.”
In the movie, Beba seems to wonder aloud why she tells these stories about things that her family, at least, would rather the world not know about. Her attitude is, “Get over it. Life is not easy.”
I think that time will tell if the old “life is unfair” perspective is a good enough explanation for airing petty grievances in a movie. This all depends on who Beba is and what she makes of her life and her art. I do hope that this movie makes enough money for Beba so that she can afford her own apartment. This film rates a C+.
Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.
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