Published: 05 August 2010
by DAN CARRIER

OLIVER Stone set out on a road trip across South America with Highgate resident Tariq Ali and the result is perhaps the first in-depth study of the region’s current political position that will be seen in mainstream cinemas. Called South of the Border, it chronicles the fact that a democratic, left-wing revolution is underway in many states – and that this popular embracing of socialist ideals is barely reported in the USA, despite its implications. It includes conversations with presidents Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina) as well as her husband and ex-President Nėstor Kirchner, Fernando Lugo  (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Raúl Castro  (Cuba). Being Oliver Stone, he has amazing access and uses it brilliantly. This straightforward take on Latin politics, as never told by the likes of Fox News, has the happy aspect of not being a film that simply preaches to the converted. This is Stone’s attempt to tell his fellow Americans that there is more than meets the eye in the history of the two continents.

Other news: the Curzon Soho is hosting a Q&A with Swedish crime film director Daniel Afredson. He has been charged with bringing the trilogy by Steig Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the two subsequent novels, to the big screen and will be on hand to answer questions on Monday August 23.