“The Rumble of the Stones” (El Rumor de las Piedras) Review

This drama film by Alejandro Bellame Palacios is Venezuela’s official submission to the Academy Awards. Set in the backdrop of modern day Caracas, Venezuela, Delia (Rossana Fernandez Diaz), a single woman living in the slums with her two sons and mother, struggles to rebuild her life after losing her only daughter in a river flood that happened a few years back. The loud rumbling sound heard that terrifying night is a memory that haunts Delia until this very day. She now faces a new crisis as her sons get involved with crime and gangs, and vows that her sons will not meet the same fate as her daughter.

Rossana Fernandez Diaz delivers a powerful performance that transports the viewer deep into the disturbed life Delia has to live with each and every single day. One of the interesting things about this film is that it does not carry your typical Hollywood storyline. What you expect isn’t always the outcome. Delia represents the working class, and the daily struggles she has to endure are representative of what many modern day Americans are going through.

The film makes reference to the 1999 Venezuelan landslide that killed hundreds of people, but its title can be very vague to many. In a recent interview with The Desert Sun, Palacios says that, “the title alludes to the destructive power of nature, but also to its innovative and creative power.” Bottom line, if you like drama and appreciate foreign films, you will want to see “The Rumble of the Stones.”

Rumble of the Stones Trailer

Check out SBIFF’s schedule for the next showings.