Del Arco Vacío
05-Sep-2019
A man recounts the story of a local legend as he travels to the jungle to make peace with his life. “Del Arco Vacío,” by director Micah Van Hove, is a hybrid concoction, something like a joyous eulogy delivered via impromptu walking tour of a small town in Peru. The story of Alex Carlo Delgado is told in full detail - a man whose soccer stardom paved the way for great wealth and goodwill delivered to his hometown. Statues erected for him, bridges built in his name. Men feared him, woman loved him. Tapping into collective dreams and myths of what makes a meaningful life, Hove’s film is a poetic fantasy, at least until our host approaches the jungle, where darker, more complicated, reflections begin to surface. Guillermo Subauste stars and takes the film on his shoulders - he’s an infectious personality, impossible to watch without a grin on your face. Van Hove is a veteran on the low-budget scene, both as a director (“Menthol,” et al), and as the D.P. on dozens of music videos, including the recent stunner, “Movies,” by Weyes Blood.
Directed by Micah Van Hove. Starring Guillermo Subauste. Special thanks Werner Herzog.