Hair of the dog? Funny documentary began with a hangover
By hola | Published | No Comments
Image from the film’s trailer. (Click to watch)
Some movies lead their directors to drink heavily; the makers of 2010 film “Vuelve a la vida” did their drinking before the cameras even started to roll. The comical documentary was inspired during a hang over brunch.
“This film happened by accident,” Mexican director Carlos Hagerman told the audience after the film’s screening at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. recently, part of the Ibero-American Film Showcase, which continues through March 27.
“Vuelve a la Vida” was never intended to be a film, according to Hagerman, but “sometimes the stories force themselves onto you and you’re forced to take the lead.”
In a series of personal (and hilarious) interviews from Acapulco, the life story unfolds of the late Hilario Martinez, known to his friends as “Long Dog.” A local scuba instructor with such marquee clients as the Princess of Denmark and members of the Kennedy family, the Long Dog left a widely disputed legacy in the seaside community. He was a shy, respectful ladies man to some. A philanderer who fathered countless children with countless women, say others.
His sons and daughters, journalists, and former lovers all go on camera to share unbelievable stories about the Long Dog of Acapulco. None are more ridiculous than his run-in with the largest shark to ever grace that storied Pacific coastline.
Hagerman first heard about the Long Dog’s exploits from his stepson, John Grillo, over a hangover-inspired brunch. The 70-minute film was birthed over Bloody Marys and huevos rancheros. (Though the film’s title could be interpreted as a reference to another Mexican hangover cure—a seafood dish know as “vuelve a la vida,” or return to life.)
“Strange things happen when you have a hangover,” Hagerman said. Instead of writing a script about the “Long Dog,” the two friends opted to document the memories of those who knew the mysterious scuba instructor best.
If there’s a disappointment with “Vuelve a la vida” it’s that the story of the shark— which inspired these men to make the film—is underwhelming. “Long Dog’s” encounter with the shark may have been an exciting event for those who actually witnessed it. On film, however, it never lives up to the hype.
Nevertheless, “Vuelve a la vida” excels in the simplicity of its indie filmmaking. Who hasn’t heard a great story while desperately sopping up the previous night’s alcohol with eggs and toast? Almost none of us, however, have had the audacity to turn it into a film.
By recounting endless stories of the “Long Dog,” the residents of Acapulco demonstrate we all have an inherent ability to tell a good story.
—Sam Sturgis
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