Md. Taqi Yasir
Directed by Francisco Varone and best-known to international audiences for his role alongside Gael Garcia Bernal in Walter Salles’ iconic Motorcycle Diaries, Rodrigo de la Serna stars in another engaging road movie, Argentine Film Festival opening film, Road to La Paz. Unemployed and adrift, thirty-five year old Sebas (de la Serna) takes a job as a private driver almost on a whim. When an elderly, client, Jalil (renowned Argentine actor Ernesto Suárez, here making his screen debut at 75) offers him a large sum to drive him to La Paz, Bolivia, Sebas can’t refuse, and the two set off on an epic 2,000 mile, life-changing journey. Jalil is a devout Muslim, something that initially makes Sebas very uncomfortable, especially when Jalil stops the car to pray. But little by little Jalil’s frail condition and the situations they live through on the road bring the two men closer together.