Previewed at fortnight, during the 70edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Defense dragon It is the first work of the Colombian filmmaker Natalia Santa, first Colombian woman to have taken part in the Cannes Film Festival.

In chess variant of the Dragon is a provision of blacks pedestrians on the wing of the king who remembers, just, the constellation of the Dragon. With such an arrangement the king is virtually impregnable, It closed as it is by such a solid defense. This provision seems to be particularly appreciated by Samuel, professional chess player who divides his time between a tournament and a lesson, trying to find the time even for his daughter, born of a now long over marriage. Like the King, man, in reality, It closed to the outside world, using chess as a defense against anything that might attack. Same fate, apparently, It has touched with his two best friends.

Young yes. "Inexperienced", If we want, enough, given its lack of experience - Direct, at least - behind the camera. Yet Natalia Santa with his earlier work has undoubtedly shown great maturity and directorial style. As with the three characters' lives, the camera deliberately avoids unnecessary virtuosities, ma, Unlike, He prefers static shots with a composition of the framework often excessively static, almost as if, as with the game of chess, just, He wanted at all costs to comply with a scheme. Samuel, the protagonist - played by the talented Gonzalo Sagarminaga, who also wrote most of the music – on the other hand it seems to struggle hard to abandon this scheme, sure it is within that world seemingly perfect - but actually quite frustrating - which is built around over the years. And the director, before everything, what does he do? Simply merely observe what happens, without wanting at all costs to make its presence felt, but doing so, at the same time, Note that the viewer every single detail of what surrounds the characters themselves, entering, so, in touch with them from the first minute.

Un'opera, this, that, as "petite", It would risk unfairly to pass almost unnoticed. Yet there is to recognize that Natalia Santa gave us a real gem, very personal, thin and free of burrs. In many ways even better able to present feature films in competition. whether (also) on the excellent South American school for years gives us, often, pleasant surprises? Maybe. Anyway, attention that South America devotes each year to new names that are appearing on the scene is not only commendable, but also demonstrates an openness and desire to experiment within a field that without these elements is likely to become cramped, stagnant. Almost dead. And in Italy, with few exceptions, Unfortunately, we know something.