T.V.O.

Television is one of the themes in T.V.O., which tells the story of a lonely woman’s interaction with the contraption. “The dog is no longer man’s best friend; now it’s television,” Castillo said in a conversation with the author of this article. The character is played by Mimí Lazo, one of the country’s most prominent actresses and a Venezuelan sex symbol. The film toys with this stereotype as regards the vicarious satisfaction given by romance and sex on screen. The other theme, linked to loneliness, is developmentalism: the main character lives in Parque Central, a middle-class housing complex whose residential buildings were finished in 1972 and became a symbol of well-being on the brink of the oil boom. (Pablo Gamba)

Directed by Carlos Castillo, T.V.O. leans on a strong ensemble — Mimí Lazo, Carlos Castillo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1979.