Vivir mata [Living Kills], (Mexico, Nicolás Echevarría , 2002)

Cast: Daniel Giménez Cacho       ....          Hugo

Susana Zabaleta              ....          Silvia

Luis Felipe Tovar            ....          Chepe

Alejandra Gollás              ....          Regina

Emilio Echevarría           ....          Heliut

Diana Bracho     ....          Reportera

Jorge Zárate       ....          Taquero

Director: Nicolás Echevarría

Length: 92

Sound: Stereo

Country: Mexico

Director: Nicolás Echevarría

Language: Spanish

Color:Color

Sound: Stereo

Script: Juan Villoro

Photography: Pablo Reyes

Editing: Tlacateotl Mata & Mario Sandoval

Sound Director: Eric Dounce

Music: Ruy García & Mario Lavista

Executive Producer: Matthias Ehrenberg & Christian Valdelièvre

Producer: Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)

Questions of analysis:

1.           Why does the movie begin the way it does?

2.           Compare Tomas with Luis from Amores perros.

3.           Whose story is it?

4.           Is the city the most important character? Or is the city a mere background for the presentation of the story?

5.           How are the characters developed? Do they evolve (or don’t) throughout the film?

6.           Elaborate about the reasons behind using a car and an office as the film’s main spaces.

7.           Comment about the mise en scéne; select recurring scenes.

8.           What are the film main sounds? How does the director use sound to deliver the story?

9.           Is this a Mexican film? Defend your answer?

10.         What cultural codes does the film present?

11.         What is the movie’s coherent message?

12.         Is this a postmodern film?

13.         Are there camera movements (long shots, high angles, close-ups, fade-in, fade-out, special effects and so forth) that aid the directors emphasize the film’s main message?

14.         What is the meaning of the tile? Does it relate to the story?

15.         What is the movie's final scene? What impression attempts to leave in the audience?