Did you know that back in the 1800s, a community of Welsh folk set sail for a new life in South America and settled, after many years of toil, in Patagonia? Did you also know that there are still vestiges of this Welsh-speaking colony in Patagonia today? I didn’t and therefore found Marc Evan’s film (also called Patagonia) utterly fascinating.
Patagonia follows two pairs of travellers – a Welsh couple whose relationship is in the balance, Rhys and Gwen who are in Patagonia due to the former’s photography assignment and old Argentine lady Cerys and her teenage neighbour Alejandro, whom she has tricked into accompanying her to Wales to seek out her descendants’ farm, from which they immigrated to South America.
With its twin tales of travel told in parallel and only tenuously connected, the film boasts one of the more original set ups I’ve had the good fortune to see play out, bearing only a superficial semblance to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel in its variety of languages (including Welsh, Spanish and English), international connection theme and beautiful cinematography. The cast are excellent and Evan’s proves to have a capable directorial hand. The third act does wear out its welcome somewhat though, and the film perhaps lacks profundity. However, I was enthralled and touched by the film, even if the filmmakers may have overestimated how many Welsh people actually speak Welsh. Also, surprisingly, popular songstress Duffy is in it. And she’s actually quite good too.
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