At first glance, the 2010 Cannes Film Festival Lineup - announced today - lacks excitement. Compared to last year, there's just no wow factor, no titles to make the mouth water - especially in the main competition. Bold names like Tarantino, Campion, Resnais, Heneke, Almodovar, and Chan-wook have this year been replaced by the more snooze-inducing Kiastorami, Kitano, Mikhalov, Leigh, and the only intriguing choice - Doug Liman.
One bright note is that Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu's "Biutiful" was included in the main competition. He is the sole Latin American representative in that category and I hope he's gotten past the fractured narrative style, which was getting really old. I thought "Babel" was really contrived. It will be interesting to see what he's accomplished without the help of his writer/collaborator Guillermo Arriaga (the two had a falling out a few years back).
Some other good news emerged from the Croisette today. From Tropical FRONT: "The Peruvian film Octubre by Daniel Vega and the Argentinean film Los Labios (photo) by Santiago Loza and Iván Fund were selected for the Un Certain Regard competition, whilst Diego Luna's Abel (which was premiered in Sundance last January) and Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the Light) will be shown as special screenings."
Strangely missing was Pablo Trapero's "Carancho," starring Ricardo Darín. Many (including Variety) predicted that the film would be in the lineup. However, it is widely expected that more titles will be added to the main competition. Only 16 films were announced today. Last year there were 20 films in competition. In fact, indiewire reports that festival chief Thierry Fremaux is leaving the door open to films that need more time to be finished like Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life."
On March 24, 2010, a select number of film critics and professionals met in New York (at the house of Judy Man, blogger - La Grande Enchilada) to record the first-ever TropiCast podcast. The group chose the Best Latin American Films of the Decade list as a topic. As you may know, the list was an initiative of DiazFilm and Cinema Tropical and it was picked up by numerous media outlets in the U.S. and abroad in late 2009. The topic sparked a terrific discussion - a must for anyone interested in current trends in Latin American cinema and in its burgeoning auteurs.
You can listen to the podcast here (in participant Rodrigo Brandão's blog, Latin Frame): http://www.latinframe.com/
Photo: Lucrecia Martel (director - "La Ciénaga," which occupies the #1 spot on the list)
Here's a short video that captures part of the conversation...
The San Diego Latino Film Festival came to a close on Sunday after 11 crazy days of compulsive movie-going. I managed to watch 20 films in that span of time. That's what happens to me at festivals, I tend to go on a binge. A healthy binge, good for the mind and soul, but a binge nonetheless. Some films were like nice hors d'oeuvres - light and fluffy - others were disappointing dishes that left me half-full, while a select few were fully satisfying - a complete meal.
One of those complete meals was "Mi Vida con Carlos" ("My Life with Carlos") which rightfully won the Best Documentary Award. More on that exquisite film later. The Best Feature Film Award went to "Cuestión de Principios" ("A Matter of Principle"), from Argentina. I had high hopes for that film since I am an unabashed fan of Argentine romantic-comedies (plus, it features Norma Aleandro and Federico Luppi in the lead roles). I'm sorry to say that it was one of the films that left me half-full (more like half-empty, actually), and for the life of me I can't understand why the jury chose it over more deserving films like "Norteado" ("Northless") or "Los viajes del viento" ("The Wind Journeys").
The Audience Choice Awards went to "El Estudiante" ("The Student"), from Mexico, in the feature film category, and to "Sons of Cuba" in the documentary category.
The San Diego Latino Film Festival is a populist event. To satisfy its largely Mexican audience, the festival includes a large selection of Mexican films, some of which are mass-appeal pictures featuring telenovela stars. These films co-exist with more serious fare. Basically, there's something for everyone. I tend to gravitate to the more artsy stuff (why go to a film festival to consume the same crap you're fed at the multiplex?) so it was disappointing to learn, for example, that the fest screens documentaries only once, as opposed to narrative features which screen an average of 3 times. Still, the festival did include many noteworthy Latin American films I had been eager to see - among them some real gems.
The best film in the entire festival was previously unknown to me. "Mi vida con Carlos" is an elegantly crafted, heartbreaking, personal documentary about a man (director Germán Berger) who decides to confront the painful memories associated with his father's death. Carlos Berger was a resistance fighter who was tortured and murdered by Pinochet during the years of the military dictatorship. His death tore his family apart and they never truly spoke about what happened until they were brought together by Germán for this film. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried several times, partly because of the compelling subject matter and partly due to the sheer beauty of the filmmaking. Shot by Miguel Littin (who may or may not be the same Littin who directed "Dawson, Isla 10") on 35mm, the film is made up of perfectly composed vignettes profiling Carlos' two brothers, his wife (Germán's mother) and Germán himself. Through these vignettes we learn just how deeply everyone was affected by Carlos' death - and the fact that their lives were altered in drastically different ways. Despite the controlled filmmaking style, the director never manipulates the audience to make a point. Instead, he relies on truth and real, heartfelt emotion, which makes this film one of the most authentic and honest pieces of cinema I've ever seen.
Remarkably, the San Diego Latino Film Festival screening was the film's U.S. premiere, a fact that the organizers failed to advertise (the screening was 1/3 full). The producer also confessed that the Tribeca Film Festival had passed on the film, which is a travesty, in my humble opinion. Hopefully, the win in San Diego will help the film land in other domestic festivals since it really deserves to be seen.
The other big find of the fest (at least for me since this film has been making the festival rounds for some time) was "Beauty of the Fight," another doc. This rich, visually detailed portrait of two poor, forgotten barrios of Panama really got to me. John Urbano, a still photographer by trade, fell in love with the people of these two barrios and decided that he would document them as a way of preserving history. A melancholic tone permeates the film and you really get to see the place through his eyes (and learn to love the people as much as he does). I loved that Urbano told the story from his point of view, and did not pretend to be an insider. Even though he was using a video camera, he composed his shots like still images so the film plays like a fascinating picture book. It was definitely original and thought-provoking.
Other notable films from the fest include:
"Birdwatchers" - Powerful narrative film about the Guaraní Indians in Brazil. When some of their young commit suicide, the elders decide to move their tribe to their ancestral land which now happens to be occupied by wealthy farmers. Amazingly well acted by actual Guaranís. "Los Viajes del Viento"/"The Wind Journeys" - Breathtaking "road film" about an accordion player who believes his instrument is cursed and travels the country in order to return it to his owner. A bit slow (especially at the end) but stunning to look at. "Norteado"/"Northless" - An unassuming little film that creeps up on you in a big way. It concerns a young man who is intent on crossing the border but keeps failing. In Tijuana, he befriends two women needy for companionship who make him think twice about his desire to cross. The film features minimal dialogue and the audience is asked to figure out the characters' back story and motivation, which I enjoyed doing. "Entre Nos" - Delicate, character-driven film about an immigrant mother who finds herself homeless in New York with two young children. An incredible tour-de-force by Paola Mendoza, who wrote, directed, and played her mother in this true story of her own family. Oh yeah, and this is her first film.
"Stages" - Documentary about inner-city youth and elderly Puerto Rican women who come together to create a play about their lives in New York's Lower East Side. The film was directed by a collective of 12 people yet it's surprisingly cohesive and effective.
A few duds:
"Io, Don Giovanni" - Everyone recommended this Carlos Saura period piece about opera lyricist Lorenzo Da Ponte, who helped Mozart write some of his best compositions. But I found it terribly stale and uninspired. The film was entirely filmed on soundstages and includes long opera sequences. Saura stages the film like a theater piece and no matter how many lighting tricks he uses, it ends up feeling way too theatrical. If I wanted to see an opera I would have gone to the theater, not the cinema.
"La Mission" - Derivative and stereotypical. Benjamin Bratt gives a fine performance but the script limits the range of his character for the sake of tragedic, moralistic ending. "Cuestión de Principios"/"A Matter of Principle" - Unoriginal and often unfunny lesson in ethics from former comic-book illustrator Fontanarrosa. Federico Luppi and Norma Aleandro are wasted in lifeless roles.
In other news, the film festival gave special tributes to director Leon Ichaso ("El Cantante") and actor Benjamin Bratt. I edited the reels that the festival played in their honor. Here they are for your viewing pleasure...
The Hollywood Reporter is, uh, reporting that the life story of civil-rights activist César Chavez has been optioned by the screenwriting team of Keir Pearson ("Hotel Rwanda") and Larry Meli (no credits listed on imdb). The pair has the backing of Gael García Bernal's Cananá Films and is unclear whether Gael will have a starring role in the as-yet-unwritten film.
I don't know what to make of this. Is it too much to ask for García Bernal and his team to hire Latino writers? Surely there are some good Latino writers out there. Maybe Pearson and Meli were in advanced negotiations and the only way to ensure that the film is made with at least some level of authenticity was for Cananá to come in at the last minute and offer backing. Who knows?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Pearson is also writing a biopic about legendary Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente. Perhaps García Bernal got a hold of an early draft and deemed the writing good enough (i.e. true to Latino culture) to support the Chavez project. Again, who knows?
Since it seems like a done deal, I'll stop second-guessing the writers' ability for now. Pearson did get an Academy nomination for writing "Hotel Rwanda" so what do I know? For now, I'll busy myself with a less political query - who will play Chavez?
Here's my wish list. What are yours?
1. Octavio Gómez Berríos ("Choking Man") 2. Harold Torres ("Norteado"/"Northless") 3. Jacob Vargas ("Jarhead"/"Traffic")
Not that it matters since it will probably be someone bankable like Benicio del Toro. Maybe he's destined to play all of the Latin American icons of our time... Who knows?
In honor of Kathryn Bigalow's historic win on Oscar night, here's a reel of her work I edited last year for the Gotham Independent Film Awards, where she received a special tribute. "The Hurt Locker" is a fine film and I couldn't be happier for her. I had the pleasure of meeting her and she struck me as a highly intelligent, refined yet humble person. Hers was the first reel I edited last year and she accepted my first cut - no revisions. That automatically made me love her immensely.
One interesting tidbit: For three years in a row, the Gothams have presented Tributes to people who have go on to win Oscars. Coincidentally, I've been with the show three years but as much as I'd like to take credit for these stars' Oscar success the credit should go to Michelle Byrd, the Executive Director of the IFP (who sadly left the organization last year) who has an uncanny gift for predicting Academy Award winners. They are:
2008 - Javier Bardem (Best Supporting Actor - "No Country For Old Men") 2009 - Penélope Cruz (Best Supporting Actress - "Vicky Cristina Barcelona") 2010 - Kathryn Bigelow (Best Director, Best Picture - "The Hurt Locker")
Things have definitely picked up (re: Latin American cinema) since my last post and now I'm playing catch-up. Sundance, Rotterdam, and Berlin came and went, the Oscar nominations were announced, and a few good Latino Film Fests are gearing up to start soon, including the San Diego Latino Film Festival, where this year I'll be a juror for the documentary competition and moderating some of the post-screening Q&A's. So here are a few of my thoughts about the many goings-on.
At Sundance, Latin American films won big. The winners include:
Bolivia's Distrito Sur/Southern District (Directing and Screenwriting awards - Dramatic World Cinema category) Peru's Contracorriente/Undertow (Audience Award - Dramatic World Cinema category) Brazil's Waste Land (Audience Award - Documentary World Cinema category) Argentina's El hombre de al lado/The Man Next Door (Cinematography Award - Dramatic World Cinema category)
Of those, I have only seen "Contracorriente," which is essentially a gay version of "Ghost" set in a conservative coastal town. Thankfully, there's no Whoopi Goldberg character providing comic relief and the theme of intolerance is nicely explored. The film didn't blow me away but I would definitely recommend it for its beautiful photography and competent script. It's great that it received the audience award at Sundance despite its subject matter, disproving the notion that gay-themed films only appeal to a small section of moviegoers. And I also love the fact that the film manages to turn a Hollywood-worthy, supernatural premise (a la "Ghost") and turn it into a film with great substance. Once again, Latin American cinema outdoes Hollywood.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that this year Amat Escalante, the maverick Mexican director, was the recipient of the prestigious Sundance/NHK Award, given to outstanding filmmakers from Europe, Latin America, the U.S. and Japan. The prize also provides finishing funds for their upcoming projects. Amat is currently working on his third feature, "Heli."
When the Oscar nominations were announced in late January only two Latin American films made it into the list of five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film: Peru's "La teta asustada" ("The Milk of Sorrow"), and Argentina's "El secreto de sus ojos" ("The secret of their eyes"). I suppose we should be grateful since there were 65 countries vying for a spot, but still "Los viajes del viento" ("The Wind Journeys") and "Zona Sur" were equally deserving. But my major gripe is with the nominating committees of the individual countries. I still can't get over the fact that Chile didn't nominate "La nana" ("The Maid") and that Argentina opted for the by-the-numbers thriller "El secreto de sus ojos" rather than the daring "La mujer sin cabeza" ("The Headless Woman"). These last two films are on my top-ten list of 2009.
The Rotterdam Film Festival is increasingly becoming a hot-bed for Latin American cinema. I know of several Latino Film Festival programmers who now attend Rotterdam (in addition to more well-known stops like Havana and San Sebastian) every year in search of good titles. This year, Rotterdam didn't disappoint in terms of exciting Latin American fare. THE VPRO Tiger Award (top prize) was split between three winners: Paz Fabrega's "Agua fría de mar" ("Cold Water of the Sea"), a Costa Rica, France, Spain, Netherlands, and Mexico co-production. Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio's “Alamar” (“To the Sea”), from Mexico Anocha Suwichakornpong's “Jao nok krajok” (“Mundane History”), from Thailand
I just got a screener for "Alamar" so I'll be posting a review soon. The film has garnered a number of awards (including San Sebastian) and rumor has it that it has been picked up for U.S. distribution by Film Movement.
On to the Berlinale... Latin American films won the top prize ("Tropa de Elite" in 2008 and "La teta asustada" in 2009) but I'm sorry to say that the streak came to an end this year when the top prize (the Golden Bear) was awarded to Semih Kaplanoglu's "Bal," from Turkey. Nevertheless, there were some Latin American winners in the sidebar categories. Oscar Ruíz Navia's "Los vuelcos del cangrejo" ("Crab Trap"), from Colombia, took home the Film Critics' Prize and Lucy Walker's Brazilian documentary "Waste Land" won the Audience Award in the Panorama section.
Also, one of the highlights of this year's reportedly lukewarm festival was the premiere of the film "Revolución" ("Revolution"), a collection of short films celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Mexican revolution. An ambitious undertaking, the producers managed to wrangle some of the best Mexican filmmakers working today, including Fernando Embcke ("Lake Tahoe"), Carlos Reygadas ("Silent Light"), Rodrigo García ("Things You Can Tell By Just Looking at Her"), Patricia Riggen ("Under the Same Moon"), and Gael García Bernal ("Déficit"). Indiewire recently published a great article about the film.
I'm well-acquainted with the San Diego lineup, so if you're in the area and you're having trouble deciding what to watch here are some recommendations: "Birdwatchers" (Brazil), "Cinco días sin Nora" (Mexico), "Gigante" (Urugüay), "La Mission" (U.S.), "Música en Espera" (Argentina), "Norteado" (Mexico), "El Regalo de la Pachamama" (Bolivia), "Los viajes del viento" (Colombia). I'm not going to talk about the documentaries because I'm a juror and I can't very well publicize my picks before the awards are announced.
Thanks for reading and I'll leave you with this promo I made for the San Diego Latino Film Festival. It will play before every screening...
The answer is... make a short film. But before I get to that, a quick, personal update: I finally moved out west! Yes, I am now officially a resident of San Diego, where life is generally uneventful and the weather is always post-card perfect (except this week). And that's exactly what I wanted, so I'm happy. I'll be posting a lot more now that I'm done with the move and all of the expected headaches. Actually, I'm very much looking forward to the San Diego Latino Film Festival, which unspools March 11-21. I've never been to it, but it has a very good reputation. Expect write-ups and reviews from the fest as well as regular posts about other topics in the weeks to come. It's been a slow winter for Latin American cinema - the only major release since "Gigante" in early December is "Los paranoicos" ("The Paranoids"), an offbeat Argentine comedy which was panned by the NY Times today. But hopefully things will pick up now that Sundance is underway and Berlin is coming up.
Ok, so back to the initial question- How do you become a crazy rich Latino filmmaker? Just follow Federico Alvarez's lead. Get incredibly good at computer animation, make a visually sophisticated short for $300 dollars about space machines attacking (and destroying) Montevideo, post it on You Tube, sit back and watch Hollywood throw millions of dollars at you. It's that easy.
After Alvarez's short "Panic Attack!" became a sensation online, Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man") called him up and the two of them hit it off. Alvarez then signed a contract with Raimi’s production company and is now set to make his feature film debut with a $30 to $40 million dollar budget. It's unclear whether it will be a longer version of "Panic Attack!" or something completely different. Frankly, I hope it's not some retread of what Roland Emmerich and Michael Bay already do. I'm banking for something with some social relevance like District 9.
The Sundance FIlm Festival, a.k.a. the golden ticket of independent filmmaking, recently announced the complete roster for its upcoming 2010 edition. It includes a good number of Latino films from the U.S., as well as Spanish and Latin American fare. Even Colombia and Bolivia (the latter rarely, if ever, has a film in the festival). Here are all the selected films by category:
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Secrets of the Tribe/Brazil (Director: José Padilha)—Scandal and infighting abound in the academic Anthropology community regarding the representation and exploitation of indigenous Indians in the Amazon Basin. World Premiere
Sins of My Father/Argentina,Colombia (Director: Nicolas Entel)—The life and times of notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar are recounted through the eyes of his son, who fled Colombia to move beyond his father’s legacy. North American Premiere (I'm pulling for this one since my good friend Juan Aceves did the sound work on it!)
WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Contracorriente (Undertow)/Colombia, France, Germany, Peru (Director and screenwriter: Javier Fuentes-Leon)—An unusual ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside, a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town’s rigid traditions. Cast: Cristian Mercado, Manolo Cardona, Tatiana Astengo North American Premiere
The Man Next Door (El Hombre de al Lado)/Argentina (Directors and Screenwriters: Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat)—A small incident over two neighbors common wall sparks a conflict which affects the intimacy of the view over the chimney; the protagonist sparks a conflict and with a paranoiac obsession destroys everyday life. Cast: Rafael Spregelburd, Daniel Araoz, Eugenia Alonso, Ines Budassi, Lorenza Acuna. International Premiere
Me Too (Yo también)/Spain (Directors and screenwriters: Álvaro Pastor and Antonio Naharro)—A 34-year-old college-educated man with Down syndrome and his free-spirited co-worker forge an unconventional relationship. Cast: Pablo Pineda, Lola Dueñas, Antonio Naharro, Isabel Garcia Lorca, Pedro Alvarez Ossorio. International Premiere
Southern District (Zona Sur)/Bolivia (Director and screenwriter: Juan Carlos Valdivia)—In La Paz, Bolivia, in a villa surrounded by beautiful gardens, an upper-class family experiences final halcyon days of luxury as social change penetrates their bubble. Cast: Ninón del Castillo, Pascual Loayza, Nicolás Fernández, Juan Pablo Koria, Mariana Vargas. North American Premiere
PREMIERES
Abel/Mexico (Director: Diego Luna; Screenwriters: Diego Luna and Agusto Mendoza)—A peculiar young boy, blurring reality and fantasy, assumes the responsibilities of a family man in his father’s absence. Cast: José María Yazpik, Karina Gidi, Carlos Aragon, Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza.. World Premiere
NEW FRONTIER
Memories of Overdevelopment / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Miguel Coyula)—Live action mixes with animation and newsreel footage of historical events to form a collage that emulates the way personal memory works for a misanthropic Cuban intellectual. An adaptation of a novel by Cuban author Edmundo Desnoes. Cast: Ron Blair. World Premiere
Oddsac/USA (Director: Danny Perez)—Perez)—An earthy, psychedelic experimental narrative infused with the band, Animal Collective’s aural and musical sensibilities. World Premiere
PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
Buried/Spain,USA (Director: Rodrigo Cortes; Screenwriter: Chris Sparling)—A U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. Cast: Ryan Reynolds. World Premiere
SPOTLIGHT
Mother & Child/USA/Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Rodrigo García)—The lives of three women—a physical therapist, the daughter she gave up at birth three decades ago, and an African American woman seeking to adopt a child of her own intersect in surprising ways. Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Naomi Watts, David Morse, Annette Bening, Amy Brenneman U.S. Premiere This year, Sundance decided to start a new category called "Next" to highlight films made on microbudgets that were being left out in previous editions of the festivals. The criticism that I've heard time and time again from filmmakers is that if your submission is unsolicited it's practically impossible to get into Sundance. In other words, without an agent or a friend with power in Hollywood your film doesn't stand a chance. Presumably, the films included in the "Next" category came from average Joes with no connections. But is that enough for Sundance to combat their elitist reputation? Looking at the competition categories, there are a number of films that easily exceed the $1 million dollar budget mark. The question is, why do they need to make special categories for lower-budget films? Does the quality and artistry of a film really depend on the money required to make it? I think Sundance still needs to do more. For starters, how about publishing a list that lets the public know which films were selected via regular submissions versus the ones that were pushed by rep agencies like Cinetic. Until there's more transparency, Sundance will remain, at least in my mind, an exclusive playground for a select few.
PHOTO CAPTIONS: 1. Sundance Film Festival marquee 2. Poster: "Los pecados de mi padre" ("The Sins of My Father") 3. "Zona Sur" ("Southern District") 4. "Mother and Child"
DiazFilm, in association with Cinema Tropical, today unveiled the Top Ten Latin American Films of the Decade, as chosen by a select group of New York film professionals whose work has been focused on the promotion and dissemination of Latin American cinema in NY and the U.S. Lucrecia Martel's seminal "La cienaga" took the top spot on the list. Rather than writing a separate article, I'll just post part of the press release we drafted, which has now made its way to news agencies all over Latin America and the world:
CINEMA TROPICAL ANNOUNCES THE TEN BEST LATIN AMERICAN FILMS OF THE DECADE, HEADED BY LUCRECIA MARTEL’S ‘LA CIÉNAGA’
New York, December 1, 2009 – Cinema Tropical, the premier purveyor of Latin American cinema in the U.S., has compiled a list of the Top Ten Latin American Films of the Decade (2000-2009) based on a survey of distinguished critics, scholars and film professionals based in the New York City area.
The respected Argentine director Lucrecia Martel, accomplished an amazing feat by making the top ten with the three films she has directed to date. Her first film La Ciénaga got the first place spot and she also occupies the eighth and ninth spots with La mujer sin cabeza (The Headless Woman) and La niña santa (The Holy Girl) respectively.
Under the initiative and coordination of filmmaker and blogger Mario Díaz (http://diazfilm.blogspot.com/) this first-ever survey of its kind was culled from 33 prominent local voices in film whose work has been devoted to the promotion and dissemination of Latin American cinema in New York and the United States. In all, 122 films representing 13 Latin American countries were nominated for the distinction of being Best of the Decade, demonstrating the great quality and diversity of films from the region.
“The project of creating this list had a two-fold intention, on one hand to serve as a promotional campaign to honor all the great film work that the region has produced in the past few years, and secondly to pay some kind of tribute to the professionals that have helped promote Latin American cinema in this city” says Carlos A. Gutiérrez, co-founding director of Cinema Tropical.
The so-called “Three Amigos,” Mexican directors Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mamá También), Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros) all made the top ten. Their three breakout films earned a combined $56 million dollars at the U.S. box office alone, elevating each of them to A-list status. Indeed the “Three Amigos” went on to direct such high-profile international films as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Cuarón), Hellboy II (Del Toro), and Babel (González Iñárritu). In 2006, they joined forces to form a production company called Cha Cha Cha Films.
Argentina is the country with the most films on the overall list with 43 mentions, whilst Mexico has four films in the first ten places. However, Brazil has a significant presence throughout the survey with 30 films out of 122 films mentioned. This includes two in the top ten: Fernando Meirelles’ City of God at number four and the documentary feature Bus 174 by directors José Padilha and Felipe Lacerda at number five. Looking at the top twenty-five, Karim Ainouz’s Madame Satâ came in at number 14, while the feature documentaries Santiago by Joâo Salles and Jogo de Cena by Eduardo Coutinho came in at 20 and 22 respectively. Despite the fact that many of the films in the list never had a US theatrical release and that Latin American cinema is not yet widely seen in the U.S., the list demonstrates that there is a wealth of films being produced in the region year after year, and that cinephiles outside the country (or at least in New York) are taking notice. For example, Brazilian director Eduardo Coutinho, who remains largely unknown to audiences in America, has four films on the overall list: Jogo de cena (Playing, #22), Edificio Master (Master, a Building in Copacabana, #27), Peões (Metalworkers, #45), and O fim e o principio (The End and the Beginning #78).
Other notable performers include Argentine filmmaker Pablo Trapero who has four films included in the list, fellow Argentine Carlos Sorín with three, and Mexican arthouse favorite Carlos Reygadas who has three films as well, including the top ten entry Silent Light (#3) and Japón (#14).
“Best Of” lists usually favor recent releases, but the participants of this survey stuck to quality and personal taste as the principal criteria for their selections. The result is a balanced list made up of picks from the entire decade. In fact, six of the films in the top ten were released in 2004 or before.
“The decade that is about to conclude marked a turning point in Latin American cinema. Never before did Latin American films enjoy such critical and box office success internationally and in the U.S.” says Mario Díaz and adds, “this list is not only a powerful reminder of the great quality and abundance of films that emerged from Latin America in the last 10 years but also a celebration of Latin American cinema’s coming-of-age, for it is now considered at par with the world’s best.”
The Top 10 Latin American Films of the Decade are:
FILM DIRECTOR COUNTRY YEAR 1) La Ciénaga Lucrecia Martel Argentina 2001
3) Luz silenciosa Carlos Reygadas Mexico 2007 (Silent Light)
4) Cidade de Deus Fernando Meirelles Brazil 2002 (City of God)
5) Ônibus 174 (Bus 174) José Padilha, Brazil 2002 Felipe Lacerda
6) Y tu mamá también Alfonso Cuarón Mexico 2001
7) Whisky Juan Pablo Rebella, Uruguay 2004 Pablo Stoll
8) La mujer sin cabeza Lucrecia Martel Argentina 2008 (The Headless Woman)
9) La niña santa Lucrecia Martel Argentina 2004 (The Holy Girl)
10) El laberinto del fauno Guillermo del Toro Mexico/Spain 2006 (Pan’s Labyrinth)
To view the complete list of films, participants, and individual selections please visit: www.cinematropical.com/programming.php?pid=3.
In case you were wondering, these are my personal selections:
1) Y tú mama también (2001) Mexico 2) La mujer sin cabeza (2008) Argentina 3) La nana (2009) Chile 4) Diarios de motocicleta (2004) Argentina 5) Bus 174 (2002) Brazil 6) Los guantes mágicos (2003) Argentina 7) Cama adentro (2005) Argentina 8) Cidade de Deus (2002) Brazil 9) Turistas (2009) Chile 10) El camino de San Diego (2006) Argentina
So I got all dressed up in a suit and attended the fancy 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards last night at Cipriani's on Wall Street. I got to rub elbows with the likes of Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, and Meryl Streep, but mostly I was there to see my work projected on two big-ass screens. For the third year in a row, I've produced and edited the Tribute and Nomination Reels shown at the event. This year, the IFP (organizers of the event) paid tribute to Natalie Portman, Stanley Tucci, and director Kathryn Bigelow. I'm happy to report that the reels were well received and there were no technical issues (which is always my fear). Here's the Tribute Reel I edited for Stanley Tucci:
As far as the actual awards go, I was especially pleased that Catalina Saavedra, who gives a powerful performance in "La nana" ("The Maid"), took home an award for Breakthrough Actor. I got to meet her and chat with her for a while, and she couldn't be more gracious and sweet. Fortunately, she's nothing like the dour character she plays in the film. I think she's totally deserving of the award (she beat frontrunners Jeremy Renner and Patton Oswalt). Here's hoping this is just the beginning of a long awards run! For a complete list of winners, click here.
Speaking of awards (and "The Maid"), the nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards were announced today and wouldn't you know it... "The Maid" was nominated for Best Foreign Film. Mexican documentary filmmaker Natalia Almada was also nominated for the Truer Than Fiction award for her film "The General." Finally, Brazilian director of photography Adriano Goldman was nominated in the Best Cinematography category for his work in "Sin Nombre." Here is the complete list of nominees. The awards will take place on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 8:00 p.m and will air on IFC.
I was going through the blog list on indiewire.com (a daily ritual) when it dawned on me that I had never seen any blogs that focused on Latino filmmaking... so I decided to start one.
Originally from Puerto Rico but now living in New York, I am primarily a documentary film editor who has also dabbled in directing (mostly docs) and producing (syndicated television and web series). Here's my imdb page and my online reel.
My taste in film is pretty eclectic. I'll watch anything - from Todd Philips to Aleksandr Sokurov. So even though this site is dedicated to Latino film fare please note that it's just a starting point. I may start writing about, say, Sebastián Silva's "La Nana" ("The Maid") and end up discussing Bergman's "Persona" (I actually see similarities between them!).
The thing is, I'm not getting paid for this so I can write about wherever my mind takes me. But also, it would be stupid and shortsighted of me to write about Latino filmmaking as a monolithic movement. Latin America is made up of 26 countries, all of which produce wildly different types of films. Therefore, Latino filmmaking deserves to be seen in a larger context and, of course, included in discussions of film as a whole. So that's what I'll try to do, expand the conversation.
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DiazFilm
Top Ten Films of 2010 (so far)
1. Mi vida con Carlos (My Life with Carlos) 2. La teta asustada (The Milk of Sorrow) 3. Mother 4. Exit Through the Gift Shop 5. El Ambulante (The Peddler) 6. Thunder Soul 7. Racing Dreams 8. Greenberg 9. Los viajes del viento (The Wind Journeys) 10. Contracorriente (Undertow)
Top Ten Films of 2009
1. La Mujer Sin Cabeza (The Headless Woman) 2. La Nana (The Maid) 3. Bright Star 4. The Hurt Locker 5. Il Divo 6. Anvil: The Story of Anvil 7. The Cove 8. Burma VJ 9. Turistas (Tourists) 10. Intimidades de Shakespeare y Victor Hugo (Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's Intimacies)
RELEASE CALENDAR (THEATRICAL)
If you click on a title, you will be directed to its trailer!
Los Angeles Film Festival - June 17-27, 2010 New York International Latino Film Festival - July 27-August 1, 2010
DVD RELEASE CALENDAR
June 22 La nana (The Maid)
July 6 Los viajes del viento (The Wind Journeys)
July 13 Amor letra por letra
July 27 Viva Castro
October 5 Alamar (To the Sea)
March 29, 2011 Un novio para mi mujer (A Boyfriend for my Wife)
FILMS I'VE SEEN RECENTLY
(out of a possible 5 stars)
Stranger Things - **** Windfall - **** The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan - ***1/2 Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the Light) - ****1/2 The Kids Are Alright - *** William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe - *** The Art of the Steal - **** My Kidnapper - ***1/2 180 South - **1/2 Presumed Guilty - ***1/2 I Am Love - **1/2 Greenberg - ****1/2 Racing Dreams - ****1/2 West Side Story - **** Casa de Areia (House of Sand) - ****1/2 Cropsey - **** El ambulante (The Peddler) - ****1/2 La teta asustada (The Milk of Sorrow) - ***** Casino Jack and the United States of Money - ***1/2 The Horse Boy - ***1/2 Thunder Soul - **** The Lovers (Louis Malle) - ***1/2 Ilusiones Opticas (Optical Illusions) - *** The Canal Street Madam - ***1/2 The Two Escobars - **** No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson - ***1/2 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - *** Exit Through the Gift Shop - **** The Botany of Desire(PBS) - *** Cleo from 5 to 7 - ****1/2 Killing Time - *1/2 Boys of Baraka - ***1/2 Worse than War (PBS) - **1/2 Terribly Happy - **1/2 Fish Tank - **** Brüno - *1/2 Afghan Star - **** Un Prophete (A Prophet) - *** Mother - ****1/2 Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - ***1/2 The Road - *** Army of Shadows - ***** Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks - **** The Hit - **1/2 Memories of Murder - **** Io, Don Giovanni - * 1/2 Mi Vida con Carlos (My Life With Carlos) - ***** Stages - **1/2 Los viajes del viento (The Wind Journeys) - **** Outrage - ***1/2 Sons of Cuba - **** La Clave - **1/2 We Live in Public - **** Nevando Voy - **1/2 Imaginadores - *** Birdwatchers - ***1/2 Cuestión de Principios (A Matter of Principle) - *1/2 Beauty of the Fight - ***1/2 El Informe Toledo (The Toledo Report) - ** Norteado (Northless) - *** No Impact Man - ** El Regalo de la Pachamama(The Gift of Pachamama) - **1/2 Dzi Croquettes - ** Entre Nos - **1/2 Dawson, Isla 10 - **1/2 Oveja Negra - ** Le Bonheur - ***** Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution - *** Alamar - *** The Red Balloon (short) - ***** The White Main (short) - ** Au Hasard Balthazar - ** Le Conseguenze Dell'Amore (The Consequences of Love) - **** The Ghost Writer - ** The Swimmer - *** Le Doulos - ****1/2 Hiroshima Mon Amour - ***** The Filth and the Fury - ***1/2 Patti Smith: Dream of Life - **** Contracorriente (Undertow) - ***1/2 Die Welle (The Wave) - **** 3 Women - **** The Long Good Friday - ***** An American Friend - ****1/2 The Fire Within - ****1/2 Up - **** Avatar - *** Wages of Fear - *** 2012 - *** Le Samourai - ***** That Obscure Object of Desire - **** God Grew Tired of Us - **** The Devil and Daniel Johnston - **** El General (The General) - *** Best of Youth - ***
- I like Daniel Burman's films, so what? If he was working in Hollywood in the mid-80's - when his particular style of dramas were in vogue - he'd be winning Oscars left and right.
- While watching the incredible documentary "The Garden," I got to thinking: What's the best Latino-themed film made by a non-Latino. "Raising Victor Vargas" would definitely be in the list but other than "The Garden" I can't think of any others. I have to write a column about this soon.
- I know there's a glut of film festivals out there but we need a Latin American documentary festival somewhere close to North America. I nominate Puerto Rico as the host country (yes, country!). You know what - maybe I'll start it myself now that I'm an "influential" blog writer :-) Why not?
- Junot Díaz and Alex Rivera can do much better than their latest book/film.
- Why are Mexican filmmakers so obsessed with making films that feature 3 interconnecting stories?
- I hate it when so-called film enthusiasts watch an arthouse film and then rate it according to Hollywood standards. This is the kind of thing I've heard: "It had some wonderful moments but overall I think it was too slow. The third act dragged on too long." Do you think Hsiao-hsien Hou thinks about the three-act structure when making his movies? Probably not. So why not accept the movie on its own terms? The problem is that Hollywood has spoon-fed us for far too long and this significantly influences the way we judge films, whether we realize it or not.
Some other good news emerged from the Croisette today. From Tropical FRONT: "The Peruvian film Octubre by Daniel Vega and the Argentinean film Los Labios (photo) by Santiago Loza and Iván Fund were selected for the Un Certain Regard competition, whilst Diego Luna's Abel (which was premiered in Sundance last January) and Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the Light) will be shown as special screenings."
