With unprecedented access, Frank Poulsen tracks a 21-year-old recruit in a FARC rebel army training camp located deep within the Colombian jungle. Her name is Isabel, and she has said goodbye to family, boyfriends, house and the comforts of modern living. The rugged life is a challenge for her — from being asked to kill a cow with a bare knife to needing to take short showers. Poulsen captures one key moment after another in Isabel's political and practical education as a new soldier. Shot with a tripod, good lighting, and remarkable cinematography and sound, Poulsen's crew more than overcomes crude circumstances, capturing what only the best of documentaries achieve: a peek into an otherwise unreachable world. (PS)
[ close this window ]