Probably the coolest moment of the Guanajuato International Film Festival closing ceremony was when a bunch of Indian guys appeared on screen, visibly delighted as their film, Sexy Durga - "a chilling and bold accomplishment in the evolution of the Indian thriller” in words of our own J Hurtado - had won the top prize of the 20th edition of the Mexican fest. Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan couldn’t attend the event but he, together with his crew, shared a video from the set of his new project to thank the Giff. Other films that got awards were Los años azules, the latest effort from the team behind 2013’s Somos Mari Pepa; and Etiqueta no rigurosa, a documentary about the first gay marriage in Baja California,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/31/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Top brass at the festival, set to run from September 24-October 8, have announced the selections in Focus Mexico.
The films are as follows:
Focus Mexico
The Obscure Spring (Las Oscuras Primaveras)
Ernesto Contreras
Manuela Jankovic’s War (La Guerra De Manuela Jankovic)
Diana Cardozo
González
Christian Díaz Pardo
Asteroide
Marcelo Tobar
The Absent (Los Ausentes)
Nicolás Pereda
Cumbres
Gabriel Nuncio
We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa)
Samuel Kishi
The Well (Manto Acuífero)
Michael Rowe
Güeros
Alonso Ruizpalacios
Cantinflas
Sebastian del Amo
Los Angeles
Damian John Harper
The Amazing Catfish (Los Insólitos Peces Gato)
Claudia Sainte-Luce
The Empty Hours (Las Horas Muertas)
Aaron Fernandez.
Panorama section
Words With Gods (Palabras Con Dioses)
Guillermo Arriaga, Héctor Babenco, Warwick Thornton, Mira Nair, Hideo Nakata, Amos Gitai, Álex de la Iglesia, Emir Kusturica, Bahman Ghobadi
Short Plays
Daniel Gruener, Carlos Reygadas, Fernando Eimbcke, Felipe Gómez, Alejandro Valle, Karim Aïnouz, Marcelo Gomes, Pablo Fendrik, Pablo Stoll, [link...
The films are as follows:
Focus Mexico
The Obscure Spring (Las Oscuras Primaveras)
Ernesto Contreras
Manuela Jankovic’s War (La Guerra De Manuela Jankovic)
Diana Cardozo
González
Christian Díaz Pardo
Asteroide
Marcelo Tobar
The Absent (Los Ausentes)
Nicolás Pereda
Cumbres
Gabriel Nuncio
We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa)
Samuel Kishi
The Well (Manto Acuífero)
Michael Rowe
Güeros
Alonso Ruizpalacios
Cantinflas
Sebastian del Amo
Los Angeles
Damian John Harper
The Amazing Catfish (Los Insólitos Peces Gato)
Claudia Sainte-Luce
The Empty Hours (Las Horas Muertas)
Aaron Fernandez.
Panorama section
Words With Gods (Palabras Con Dioses)
Guillermo Arriaga, Héctor Babenco, Warwick Thornton, Mira Nair, Hideo Nakata, Amos Gitai, Álex de la Iglesia, Emir Kusturica, Bahman Ghobadi
Short Plays
Daniel Gruener, Carlos Reygadas, Fernando Eimbcke, Felipe Gómez, Alejandro Valle, Karim Aïnouz, Marcelo Gomes, Pablo Fendrik, Pablo Stoll, [link...
- 9/14/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Deceptively sumptuous given its scruffy punk milieu, We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa) breathes unexpected life into the naturally jaded (but hormone-riddled) body of youth/skate/band/buddy flicks. Samuel Kishi Leopo's debut is utterly faithful in its depiction of the torpor and hope that doggedly accompanies teenagers everywhere, while limning a distinctly Mexican portrait of Jalisciense life over the course of a formative summer. Flush with teen spirit–that unassailable combination of insouciance and defiance—the film ultimately yields to the more wistful moods exacted by the reality of growing up. The symbolically slammed bedroom door separating youth from senescence, the modern from the traditional, the unrepentant two-chord blast from the venerable canción unspooling on vinyl, is gradually left ajar by Leopo's rather keen sense of nostalgia.
- 8/16/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Deceptively sumptuous given its scruffy punk milieu, We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa) breathes unexpected life into the naturally jaded (but hormone-riddled) body of youth/skate/band/buddy flicks. Samuel Kishi Leopo's debut is utterly faithful in its depiction of the torpor and hope that doggedly accompanies teenagers everywhere, while limning a distinctly Mexican portrait of Jalisciense life over the course of a formative summer. Flush with teen spirit–that unassailable combination of insouciance and defiance—the film ultimately yields to the more wistful moods exacted by the reality of growing up. The symbolically slammed bedroom door separating youth from senescence, the modern from the traditional, the unrepentant two-chord blast from the venerable canción unspooling on vinyl, is gradually left ajar by Leopo's rather keen sense of nostalgia.
- 8/16/2014
- Keyframe
Undoubtedly, it is very difficult to find solemnity in a film that opens with a posse of teenagers repeatedly mumbling the lyrics ‘Natasha I wanna cum in your face,” as part of their explicit attempts at creating meaningful poetic imagery with their music- or not. Mexican helmer Samuel Kishi's teenage portrait "We Are Mari Pepa" (Somos Mari Pepa) - a band name that comes from a short term for Marijuana and a Spanish slang word referring to the female genitalia - has a certain kind of street-smart charm that is at once despicably dirty-minded, as is expected of boys of that age, and also rather endearing.
The premise is simple. Four boys, Alex (Alejandro Gallardo ), Moy (Moisés Galindo), Bolter (Arnold Ramírez) and Rafa (Rafael Andrade) are part of an extremely underground, almost non-existent, garage “punk” band that clearly only has one original song. Their current dilemma is to create another great hit single to participate in a “Battle of the Bands” contest happening soon in their city. Taking place in the outskirts of one of Mexico’s most urbanized areas, Guadalajara, the story delves into their struggles to achieve their musical goals against the particular idiosyncrasies of their hometown, all while meeting their respective families’ expectations as soon-to-be adults.
In summary, this is a Mexican-Rock-Infused-Dirty-Talk-Coming-of-Age Story, which, as if that concept wasn’t already a tad convoluted, is shot in a quasi-documentary style to lend realism to the Youtube-friendly world it depicts. Despite all these elements being pursued at equal rates by the filmmaker, there is a great deal of honesty that permeates the piece, so much that the final sequence induces one to think these four young men are friends behind the camera as well. Since they are not, they certainly deserve some praise for making the scripted parts unnoticeable thanks to the great rapport between them.
Among the four dysfunctional pimple-ridden musketeers Alex is the quiet protagonist. He lives with his elderly grandmother who every morning cooks him a strange concoction of pineapple and meat. She never says a word but enjoys classic songs on her record player. While mostly inexpressive, she cares profoundly about her grandson and wants to protect him, even if this means vandalizing his room - which is essentially a musical shrine - in order to save his soul. Alex, just like his friends, is trying to figure what to do with his life.
Unlike the others he seems to be economically stable because of his absent father who supports him from afar. Bolter, the singer, is conflicted between his own aspirations and his cousin’s attractive lifestyle as part of a drug dealing, regional music loving crowd. Rafa, on the drums, needs to find a job fast before his parents throw him out. Lastly, Moy, on the bass, just got a girlfriend, who like a watered-down Yoko Ono, requires all his attention and creates conflict within the tight-knit group.
Given that the performers here are non-professional actors, their takes shine for their naturalism and uncompromising colloquialism, which often borders on the outright vulgar but is still fitting. Evidently this is a passion project for the Mexican new auteur, and even if at times if feels like its running time could end before its actual conclusion, it is a nice attempt at capturing a very complex age with a particular cultural point of view. There are sex jokes galore, funny rehearsing sessions, and even a few tender moments that validate the bond between these oddballs. Highly entertaining, inventive, and unexpectedly touching, this might not exactly be a revolutionary piece of filmmaking but it’s definitely worth a chance for all its hilarious rarities. At the very least it offers us a chance to sing a long the band’s porn-inspired catchy tune. Why not? “Natasha!….”
"We Are Mari Pepa" is now playing in New York at the Anthology Film Archives
A version of this review was originally published on IonCinema in December 2013...
The premise is simple. Four boys, Alex (Alejandro Gallardo ), Moy (Moisés Galindo), Bolter (Arnold Ramírez) and Rafa (Rafael Andrade) are part of an extremely underground, almost non-existent, garage “punk” band that clearly only has one original song. Their current dilemma is to create another great hit single to participate in a “Battle of the Bands” contest happening soon in their city. Taking place in the outskirts of one of Mexico’s most urbanized areas, Guadalajara, the story delves into their struggles to achieve their musical goals against the particular idiosyncrasies of their hometown, all while meeting their respective families’ expectations as soon-to-be adults.
In summary, this is a Mexican-Rock-Infused-Dirty-Talk-Coming-of-Age Story, which, as if that concept wasn’t already a tad convoluted, is shot in a quasi-documentary style to lend realism to the Youtube-friendly world it depicts. Despite all these elements being pursued at equal rates by the filmmaker, there is a great deal of honesty that permeates the piece, so much that the final sequence induces one to think these four young men are friends behind the camera as well. Since they are not, they certainly deserve some praise for making the scripted parts unnoticeable thanks to the great rapport between them.
Among the four dysfunctional pimple-ridden musketeers Alex is the quiet protagonist. He lives with his elderly grandmother who every morning cooks him a strange concoction of pineapple and meat. She never says a word but enjoys classic songs on her record player. While mostly inexpressive, she cares profoundly about her grandson and wants to protect him, even if this means vandalizing his room - which is essentially a musical shrine - in order to save his soul. Alex, just like his friends, is trying to figure what to do with his life.
Unlike the others he seems to be economically stable because of his absent father who supports him from afar. Bolter, the singer, is conflicted between his own aspirations and his cousin’s attractive lifestyle as part of a drug dealing, regional music loving crowd. Rafa, on the drums, needs to find a job fast before his parents throw him out. Lastly, Moy, on the bass, just got a girlfriend, who like a watered-down Yoko Ono, requires all his attention and creates conflict within the tight-knit group.
Given that the performers here are non-professional actors, their takes shine for their naturalism and uncompromising colloquialism, which often borders on the outright vulgar but is still fitting. Evidently this is a passion project for the Mexican new auteur, and even if at times if feels like its running time could end before its actual conclusion, it is a nice attempt at capturing a very complex age with a particular cultural point of view. There are sex jokes galore, funny rehearsing sessions, and even a few tender moments that validate the bond between these oddballs. Highly entertaining, inventive, and unexpectedly touching, this might not exactly be a revolutionary piece of filmmaking but it’s definitely worth a chance for all its hilarious rarities. At the very least it offers us a chance to sing a long the band’s porn-inspired catchy tune. Why not? “Natasha!….”
"We Are Mari Pepa" is now playing in New York at the Anthology Film Archives
A version of this review was originally published on IonCinema in December 2013...
- 8/16/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Mari Pepa is the name of a punk rock band in We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa), Samuel Isamu Kishi Leopo's extension of his own 18-minute short film Mari Pepa. "Mari" refers to marihuana, while "pepa" is slang for vagina; so, indeed, we are dealing with a band composed of four (Mexican) teenagers, who scream such lyrics as "I want to cum in your face" while playing power chords. There's a funny nature attached to watching skinny teenagers playing music like that, fighting during rehearsals, or just having casual/vulgar conversations between them. We Are Mari Pepa functions as a really entertaining film for the most part, with a style that tries to recreate the home movie look. This is not a dirty/aggressive look at...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 8/14/2014
- Screen Anarchy
As a film fan, self-professed cinenerd, and an ex-film programmer at the New York International Latino Film Festival, the closure of the long-running fest last year was soul crushing. There are very few spaces dedicated to exhibiting Latino cinema and a lot of the remaining ones are on shaky ground.
Simultaneously though — as many U.S. Latino film institutions are on their last legs — movies directed by Latin American-born filmmakers are circling the globe at prestigious film festivals, winning awards, and garnering praise from critics. Production numbers, south of our border, have risen astronomically. It’s a renewal, renaissance, new wave — whatever you want to call it — that began in the mid-nineties. The Film Society of Lincoln Center, with its eye on this rebirth, founded a film series in 1997. A yearly showcase of the newest voices in Latin American cinema, it would eventually be called Latinbeat.
This year’s Latinbeat, running July 11 – 20, carries on with its mission of presenting emerging directors and film trends from across Latin America with movies from powerhouses like Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil plus countries with smaller film industries like Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. From films about a Mexican garage band ("We Are Mari Pepa") to heavy metal in the Andes ("Holiday") and from first-time directors as well as established ones, this year’s lineup is centered on young protagonists.
In advance of the series’ opening night, I got the chance to chat with Marcela Goglio — Latinbeat’s film programmer since 1999 — about the origins of the longstanding showcase, how she ended up at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the constant rebirth of Latin American cinema. Plus, there are some good stories about the struggles of getting filmmakers to their screenings on time. Spoiler alert: if something can go wrong, it will.
When did the Latinbeat series start? Was there something specific that motivated the creation of the series?
Latinbeat started in 1997, conceived by Richard Peña, the Programming Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center at the time (and until the end of 2012.) He actually programmed that first edition. I came in as an intern that year and helped with the marketing, outreach, and with Q&As. He came up with the idea mainly because at the time there was a very evident explosion or renaissance of film in Latin America, mainly Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico (the so called “New Argentine Cinema” started in the mid 90s). By explosion I mean not only a spike in quantity but mainly there was some really interesting formal exploration going on and new kinds of films emerging as a reaction to drastically changing socio-political realities — end of dictatorships in some countries, devastating economic crises that changed the social landscape in others — in a film landscape that, up until then, had become rather stale. It was the perfect time and there was a real need, as no other venues existed that were showcasing that cinema in New York. Latinbeat was the very first to showcase these new emerging filmmakers that later became such symbols of their time.
Where did the name Latinbeat come from?
Richard Peña chose the name. I think it was a reference to precisely an urgent, watershed moment, urgent films, something palpitating in the air that the festival wanted to capture. Also, it was a reference to a new rhythm or language that was being created.
How did you end up programming the series?
Newly arrived in New York City in 1997, after having lived in Costa Rica for four years where I worked as a journalist and programmed a series of Latin American cinema at the Spanish Cultural Center, I heard that Richard Peña, whom I had studied under at Columbia University before moving to Costa Rica, was organizing a Latin American film festival. (At the time it was called “Latin American Cinema Now.”) I called him up and volunteered to help on that festival that he programmed. So I became an intern at the Film Society helping with Latin American outreach and other stuff. In 1998, he asked me and a fellow colleague, Cord Dueppe, to program the following edition in 1999 (it was biannual back then) and we programmed the subsequent editions together. Ines Aslan, from the Public Relations department, joined our team around 2003 under Richard’s guidance. In 2007, I became the sole programmer (Ines and Cord left the Film Society) and have programmed it since.
Richard Peña, former Programming Director at the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Can you describe the process of discovering and selecting the films each year? How is the process different now than when you first started?
I take submissions — and I watch everything that is sent to me — but I don’t do an open call for entries. Up until recently, I had traveled to the Havana Film Festival almost every year since 1996 and to every Bafici (Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival) since its first edition 12 years ago and I go to a few other festivals. Distribution companies send me titles and screeners but mostly the process involves keeping up to date with productions in the region through connections with film schools, institutes, filmmakers, and producers with whom I have developed a relationship with over the years. Also, of course, I follow the programming at all the other festivals.
The process now is different in that there are many more films to watch because, amongst other things, of an explosion in production in other countries in the region (and more production too in the aforementioned strongest countries: Argentina, Mexico, Brazil). The programming, necessarily, must become more complex because there is more to choose from and more variety but also more festivals that compete for the same films. There are more films to watch but because of technology it is also easier, in a sense, since viewing links get sent quickly instead of having to wait for screeners or videos via mail.
What was the biggest challenge in the first year of the series?
Getting a crossover audience, in terms of nationality.
Marcela Goglio with Yamandu Ross, co-director of '3 Million'
What years do you feel were the heyday of the series? What are some of your favorite memories of that time?
Definitely 2003 – 2004, when the festival was hugely successful — we had sold out screenings back to back — and longer, it ran for three weeks. We had a lot of Cuban cinema and my very favorite sidebar (in 2003) was these fabulous archival Cuban music documentaries (from the 50s, 60s, 70s) that we brought back from Havana and were never again shown in the city, or the U.S. The theater was packed and now, looking back, I realize we should have repeated that program. It was also the first year that I started to notice some crossover amongst audiences — Mexicans coming to see Chilean films, Argentines to see Cuban, etc — and that was thrilling.
One of my favorite memories is recognizing a Mexican bus boy from a neighborhood restaurant who came to see Carlos Sorin’s "Intimate Stories" (a small independent film from Argentina). He was standing in the back — there were no empty seats in the theater — laughing like crazy. One of the great things of those years too was that this “renaissance of Latin American cinema” that had started in the early/mid 90s was starting to come into its own and become more well known and popular abroad. Seeing such a new independent cinema gain popularity and fill the theaters — at least in NY, it definitely was not happening in Latin America, which made it even more exciting and special — was very gratifying. It felt like we were really a part of that big change that Latin America was experiencing cinematically.
Have you ever had trouble getting filmmakers to New York for their screenings?
In 2011, we opened the festival with Gustavo Taretto’s "Sidewalls" from Argentina. Taretto, who is of Italian descent and had a beard at the time, was coming for opening night and he almost didn’t make it because he was held up at the airport and being questioned. He claimed it was because of his “Middle Eastern” appearance. The irony is that Coca Cola was one of his clients; when the officers stopped him at the airport (because of his beard) and asked him his profession he made a joke about how he actually helped the American Empire — I’m paraphrasing — impose its products on the rest of the world.
Gustavo Taretto and Marcela Goglio
Something similar happened to another opening night guest, Roxana Blanco, coming to introduce the Uruguayan film "Kill Them All", a political thriller set in Uruguay. This time it was not because of her appearance, but because of the title of the film.
It also happened to the director and producer (Kenya Marquez and Karla Uribe) of Expiration Date, the opening night film in 2012. There was a storm so they were delayed arriving from the airport and couldn’t introduce the film. They finally showed up as the film was ending, direct from the airport and soaking wet, and practically changed in the lobby before marching into the theater to do the Q&A.
To Gustavo Taretto, it actually happened twice in that trip. After opening night (a Friday, I think) he had to travel to Mexico for a publicity gig. On his way back to New York, where he had to introduce his second screening, he was singled out in the immigration line (supposedly again because of his beard) and questioned right there.
Are there filmmakers who screened their first film at Latinbeat and are now big names? Do you feel like you took part in discovering them?
None of these are “big names” but are well known now in the Latin American film world, with a respected body of work; I feel like we took part in discovering many of them, but not all: Celina Murga, Argentina ("Ana y los otros," ‘04), Damian Szifron, Argentina ("En el fondo del mar," ‘03 ), Matias Bize, Chile ("Sabado" ‘04), Marite Ugas and Mariana Rondon from Venezuela ("A la medianoche y media," ‘01), Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll from Uruguay ("25 Watts," ‘01), Everardo Gonzalez, Mexico ("Cancion del pulque," ‘04), Nicolas Pereda, Mexico ( "Perpetuum Mobile"— his second feature film, ‘09), Matias Meyer, Mexico ("Wadley," ‘08 ), Martin Rejtman, Argentina ("Silvia Prieto" — his second film, ‘99), Mercedes Moncada, Mexico/Nicaragua ("La pasion de Maria Elena," ‘03), Pedro Gonzales Rubio and Carlos Armella, Mexico ( "Toro Negro," ‘05), and finally Juan Jose Campanella from Argentina, we showed his "El mismo amor, la misma lluvia" in 1999. He went on to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009 for "El secreto de sus ojos."
Matias Meyer, director of 'The Cramp' with Marcela Goglio
How does film production compare now to when Latinbeat started?
Numbers of films have increased twenty fold or more, in most countries — a lot. Mexico, Argentina and Brazil continue to produce the most but the main difference is that countries like Chile, Uruguay, Colombia and Venezuela — though Venezuela always had a high production — underwent their own explosion in the last years, as you might have heard. So, they are also important players. Another big difference is precisely the variety of themes, formal approaches and, storylines — political and personal, different genres — though the “independent”, low budget, formal exploration strain continues to be strong in all the countries, which is what is so fascinating. It’s as if the cinema in the region is constantly renewing itself. Also, the fact that there is this variety of genres, levels of production, styles — and the fact that there are some solid commercial films produced and consumed regularly in some of these countries — to me is an indication that there is an industry that’s getting strong. That is really great, even if we may not love everything that is being produced.
Have you ever considered including U.S. Latino films in Latinbeat?
We did include a few over the years — the Dominican-American "Red Passport" and the films of U.S.-based Puerto Rican director Mario Diaz. But, we focused on Latin America mostly and we understood that as separate from “Latino”. Also, the New York International Latino Film Festival seemed to have that area covered those years. [The Nyilff launched in 1999.] Now that that festival is gone [Nyilff], I would want to consider more Latino films. I also don’t see the “Latino” and “Latin American” as that separate anymore.
What is your favorite part of being a film programmer?
I love almost all aspects of it: watching the films (even when they’re not always great); choosing them and finding the best ways to make them work together; and finally, meeting the filmmakers and having conversations with them and the audience, onstage, brings everything full circle.
Pablo Cerda, director of 'P.E.' with Marcela Goglio
When you want to just sit on the couch and unwind what sort of films do you watch in your spare time?
I generally don’t watch films to unwind — I prefer to read. But these days I enjoy watching Argentine public television — many filmmakers are directing great series.
Did you ever want to be a filmmaker?
I did, a screenwriter. But wasn’t 100% sure. I went to film school briefly at the Universidad del Cine, in Buenos Aires, while I studied Journalism at Universidad de Buenos Aires.
This year, there are lots of films about young people, from "Somos Mari Pepa" (Mexico) to "Holiday" (Ecuador) and "Mateo" (Colombia). The opening night film "Casa Grande" also centers on a teenager but in Brazil. Was this on purpose? Is it a reflection of a larger trend in Latin American filmmaking?
"The Militant," "Root," "The Summer of Flying Fish" and "Natural Sciences" are also about young people and are a variation of “coming of age” stories. So it is definitely a recurring theme in the program. Yes, it’s on purpose. Most of our past editions have had many young first-time directors; it has been like this from the start. We look to reflect the region’s new trends with the program, to highlight emerging talents always, even if they might have imperfect films. And some of these titles mentioned are definitely by filmmakers to watch.
Latinbeat runs July 11 – 20 at The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.
Simultaneously though — as many U.S. Latino film institutions are on their last legs — movies directed by Latin American-born filmmakers are circling the globe at prestigious film festivals, winning awards, and garnering praise from critics. Production numbers, south of our border, have risen astronomically. It’s a renewal, renaissance, new wave — whatever you want to call it — that began in the mid-nineties. The Film Society of Lincoln Center, with its eye on this rebirth, founded a film series in 1997. A yearly showcase of the newest voices in Latin American cinema, it would eventually be called Latinbeat.
This year’s Latinbeat, running July 11 – 20, carries on with its mission of presenting emerging directors and film trends from across Latin America with movies from powerhouses like Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil plus countries with smaller film industries like Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. From films about a Mexican garage band ("We Are Mari Pepa") to heavy metal in the Andes ("Holiday") and from first-time directors as well as established ones, this year’s lineup is centered on young protagonists.
In advance of the series’ opening night, I got the chance to chat with Marcela Goglio — Latinbeat’s film programmer since 1999 — about the origins of the longstanding showcase, how she ended up at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the constant rebirth of Latin American cinema. Plus, there are some good stories about the struggles of getting filmmakers to their screenings on time. Spoiler alert: if something can go wrong, it will.
When did the Latinbeat series start? Was there something specific that motivated the creation of the series?
Latinbeat started in 1997, conceived by Richard Peña, the Programming Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center at the time (and until the end of 2012.) He actually programmed that first edition. I came in as an intern that year and helped with the marketing, outreach, and with Q&As. He came up with the idea mainly because at the time there was a very evident explosion or renaissance of film in Latin America, mainly Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico (the so called “New Argentine Cinema” started in the mid 90s). By explosion I mean not only a spike in quantity but mainly there was some really interesting formal exploration going on and new kinds of films emerging as a reaction to drastically changing socio-political realities — end of dictatorships in some countries, devastating economic crises that changed the social landscape in others — in a film landscape that, up until then, had become rather stale. It was the perfect time and there was a real need, as no other venues existed that were showcasing that cinema in New York. Latinbeat was the very first to showcase these new emerging filmmakers that later became such symbols of their time.
Where did the name Latinbeat come from?
Richard Peña chose the name. I think it was a reference to precisely an urgent, watershed moment, urgent films, something palpitating in the air that the festival wanted to capture. Also, it was a reference to a new rhythm or language that was being created.
How did you end up programming the series?
Newly arrived in New York City in 1997, after having lived in Costa Rica for four years where I worked as a journalist and programmed a series of Latin American cinema at the Spanish Cultural Center, I heard that Richard Peña, whom I had studied under at Columbia University before moving to Costa Rica, was organizing a Latin American film festival. (At the time it was called “Latin American Cinema Now.”) I called him up and volunteered to help on that festival that he programmed. So I became an intern at the Film Society helping with Latin American outreach and other stuff. In 1998, he asked me and a fellow colleague, Cord Dueppe, to program the following edition in 1999 (it was biannual back then) and we programmed the subsequent editions together. Ines Aslan, from the Public Relations department, joined our team around 2003 under Richard’s guidance. In 2007, I became the sole programmer (Ines and Cord left the Film Society) and have programmed it since.
Richard Peña, former Programming Director at the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Can you describe the process of discovering and selecting the films each year? How is the process different now than when you first started?
I take submissions — and I watch everything that is sent to me — but I don’t do an open call for entries. Up until recently, I had traveled to the Havana Film Festival almost every year since 1996 and to every Bafici (Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival) since its first edition 12 years ago and I go to a few other festivals. Distribution companies send me titles and screeners but mostly the process involves keeping up to date with productions in the region through connections with film schools, institutes, filmmakers, and producers with whom I have developed a relationship with over the years. Also, of course, I follow the programming at all the other festivals.
The process now is different in that there are many more films to watch because, amongst other things, of an explosion in production in other countries in the region (and more production too in the aforementioned strongest countries: Argentina, Mexico, Brazil). The programming, necessarily, must become more complex because there is more to choose from and more variety but also more festivals that compete for the same films. There are more films to watch but because of technology it is also easier, in a sense, since viewing links get sent quickly instead of having to wait for screeners or videos via mail.
What was the biggest challenge in the first year of the series?
Getting a crossover audience, in terms of nationality.
Marcela Goglio with Yamandu Ross, co-director of '3 Million'
What years do you feel were the heyday of the series? What are some of your favorite memories of that time?
Definitely 2003 – 2004, when the festival was hugely successful — we had sold out screenings back to back — and longer, it ran for three weeks. We had a lot of Cuban cinema and my very favorite sidebar (in 2003) was these fabulous archival Cuban music documentaries (from the 50s, 60s, 70s) that we brought back from Havana and were never again shown in the city, or the U.S. The theater was packed and now, looking back, I realize we should have repeated that program. It was also the first year that I started to notice some crossover amongst audiences — Mexicans coming to see Chilean films, Argentines to see Cuban, etc — and that was thrilling.
One of my favorite memories is recognizing a Mexican bus boy from a neighborhood restaurant who came to see Carlos Sorin’s "Intimate Stories" (a small independent film from Argentina). He was standing in the back — there were no empty seats in the theater — laughing like crazy. One of the great things of those years too was that this “renaissance of Latin American cinema” that had started in the early/mid 90s was starting to come into its own and become more well known and popular abroad. Seeing such a new independent cinema gain popularity and fill the theaters — at least in NY, it definitely was not happening in Latin America, which made it even more exciting and special — was very gratifying. It felt like we were really a part of that big change that Latin America was experiencing cinematically.
Have you ever had trouble getting filmmakers to New York for their screenings?
In 2011, we opened the festival with Gustavo Taretto’s "Sidewalls" from Argentina. Taretto, who is of Italian descent and had a beard at the time, was coming for opening night and he almost didn’t make it because he was held up at the airport and being questioned. He claimed it was because of his “Middle Eastern” appearance. The irony is that Coca Cola was one of his clients; when the officers stopped him at the airport (because of his beard) and asked him his profession he made a joke about how he actually helped the American Empire — I’m paraphrasing — impose its products on the rest of the world.
Gustavo Taretto and Marcela Goglio
Something similar happened to another opening night guest, Roxana Blanco, coming to introduce the Uruguayan film "Kill Them All", a political thriller set in Uruguay. This time it was not because of her appearance, but because of the title of the film.
It also happened to the director and producer (Kenya Marquez and Karla Uribe) of Expiration Date, the opening night film in 2012. There was a storm so they were delayed arriving from the airport and couldn’t introduce the film. They finally showed up as the film was ending, direct from the airport and soaking wet, and practically changed in the lobby before marching into the theater to do the Q&A.
To Gustavo Taretto, it actually happened twice in that trip. After opening night (a Friday, I think) he had to travel to Mexico for a publicity gig. On his way back to New York, where he had to introduce his second screening, he was singled out in the immigration line (supposedly again because of his beard) and questioned right there.
Are there filmmakers who screened their first film at Latinbeat and are now big names? Do you feel like you took part in discovering them?
None of these are “big names” but are well known now in the Latin American film world, with a respected body of work; I feel like we took part in discovering many of them, but not all: Celina Murga, Argentina ("Ana y los otros," ‘04), Damian Szifron, Argentina ("En el fondo del mar," ‘03 ), Matias Bize, Chile ("Sabado" ‘04), Marite Ugas and Mariana Rondon from Venezuela ("A la medianoche y media," ‘01), Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll from Uruguay ("25 Watts," ‘01), Everardo Gonzalez, Mexico ("Cancion del pulque," ‘04), Nicolas Pereda, Mexico ( "Perpetuum Mobile"— his second feature film, ‘09), Matias Meyer, Mexico ("Wadley," ‘08 ), Martin Rejtman, Argentina ("Silvia Prieto" — his second film, ‘99), Mercedes Moncada, Mexico/Nicaragua ("La pasion de Maria Elena," ‘03), Pedro Gonzales Rubio and Carlos Armella, Mexico ( "Toro Negro," ‘05), and finally Juan Jose Campanella from Argentina, we showed his "El mismo amor, la misma lluvia" in 1999. He went on to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009 for "El secreto de sus ojos."
Matias Meyer, director of 'The Cramp' with Marcela Goglio
How does film production compare now to when Latinbeat started?
Numbers of films have increased twenty fold or more, in most countries — a lot. Mexico, Argentina and Brazil continue to produce the most but the main difference is that countries like Chile, Uruguay, Colombia and Venezuela — though Venezuela always had a high production — underwent their own explosion in the last years, as you might have heard. So, they are also important players. Another big difference is precisely the variety of themes, formal approaches and, storylines — political and personal, different genres — though the “independent”, low budget, formal exploration strain continues to be strong in all the countries, which is what is so fascinating. It’s as if the cinema in the region is constantly renewing itself. Also, the fact that there is this variety of genres, levels of production, styles — and the fact that there are some solid commercial films produced and consumed regularly in some of these countries — to me is an indication that there is an industry that’s getting strong. That is really great, even if we may not love everything that is being produced.
Have you ever considered including U.S. Latino films in Latinbeat?
We did include a few over the years — the Dominican-American "Red Passport" and the films of U.S.-based Puerto Rican director Mario Diaz. But, we focused on Latin America mostly and we understood that as separate from “Latino”. Also, the New York International Latino Film Festival seemed to have that area covered those years. [The Nyilff launched in 1999.] Now that that festival is gone [Nyilff], I would want to consider more Latino films. I also don’t see the “Latino” and “Latin American” as that separate anymore.
What is your favorite part of being a film programmer?
I love almost all aspects of it: watching the films (even when they’re not always great); choosing them and finding the best ways to make them work together; and finally, meeting the filmmakers and having conversations with them and the audience, onstage, brings everything full circle.
Pablo Cerda, director of 'P.E.' with Marcela Goglio
When you want to just sit on the couch and unwind what sort of films do you watch in your spare time?
I generally don’t watch films to unwind — I prefer to read. But these days I enjoy watching Argentine public television — many filmmakers are directing great series.
Did you ever want to be a filmmaker?
I did, a screenwriter. But wasn’t 100% sure. I went to film school briefly at the Universidad del Cine, in Buenos Aires, while I studied Journalism at Universidad de Buenos Aires.
This year, there are lots of films about young people, from "Somos Mari Pepa" (Mexico) to "Holiday" (Ecuador) and "Mateo" (Colombia). The opening night film "Casa Grande" also centers on a teenager but in Brazil. Was this on purpose? Is it a reflection of a larger trend in Latin American filmmaking?
"The Militant," "Root," "The Summer of Flying Fish" and "Natural Sciences" are also about young people and are a variation of “coming of age” stories. So it is definitely a recurring theme in the program. Yes, it’s on purpose. Most of our past editions have had many young first-time directors; it has been like this from the start. We look to reflect the region’s new trends with the program, to highlight emerging talents always, even if they might have imperfect films. And some of these titles mentioned are definitely by filmmakers to watch.
Latinbeat runs July 11 – 20 at The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.
- 7/16/2014
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
With the advent of this year’s LatinBeat (July 11-20), The Film Society of Lincoln continues on its quest to unearth the best and most challenging of Latin American cinema, including the product of Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, and Ecuador.
For some of these countries, having a national cinema at all is a near miracle. According to Wikipedia, Uruguay averages eleven films a year. In Paraguay, that figure drops to five. As for Peru, in 2011, only .8% of box office attendance was for national product. How can one battle Scarlett Johansson and the Transformers for a Friday night date, especially when you’re trying to showcase the political and economic realities of your country?
Having viewed five of the sixteen offerings, severable notable motifs kept popping up: broken homes, searches for fathers, the difficulties of finding employment, poverty, the indifference of the government and media, and the restorative powers of music.
For some of these countries, having a national cinema at all is a near miracle. According to Wikipedia, Uruguay averages eleven films a year. In Paraguay, that figure drops to five. As for Peru, in 2011, only .8% of box office attendance was for national product. How can one battle Scarlett Johansson and the Transformers for a Friday night date, especially when you’re trying to showcase the political and economic realities of your country?
Having viewed five of the sixteen offerings, severable notable motifs kept popping up: broken homes, searches for fathers, the difficulties of finding employment, poverty, the indifference of the government and media, and the restorative powers of music.
- 7/13/2014
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
Top brass at the 31st Miami International Film Festival (Miff) announced the full slate on January 28, which comprises 93 features and 28 shorts. The festival is set to run from March 7-16.
John Turturro will receive the career achievement award and the world premiere of Rob The Mob will screen as the Awards Night Gala, while the North American premiere of Michael Radford’s Elsa & Fred remake opens the festival.
Knight Competition entries include the world premieres of Marcelo Tobar’s Asteroid (Asteroide, Mexico) and Jorge Duran’s Memories Of The Desert (Romance Policial, Brazil).
Among the Knight Documentary Competition selection is Joe Berlinger’s Whitey: United States Of America v James J Bulger (pictured) and the North American premiere of Marianne Lamour’s The Art Rush (France).
Four entries compete for a total of $10,000 in the Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition for first-time feature filmmakers emerging from Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
The films are:...
John Turturro will receive the career achievement award and the world premiere of Rob The Mob will screen as the Awards Night Gala, while the North American premiere of Michael Radford’s Elsa & Fred remake opens the festival.
Knight Competition entries include the world premieres of Marcelo Tobar’s Asteroid (Asteroide, Mexico) and Jorge Duran’s Memories Of The Desert (Romance Policial, Brazil).
Among the Knight Documentary Competition selection is Joe Berlinger’s Whitey: United States Of America v James J Bulger (pictured) and the North American premiere of Marianne Lamour’s The Art Rush (France).
Four entries compete for a total of $10,000 in the Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition for first-time feature filmmakers emerging from Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
The films are:...
- 1/28/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Berlinale adds 17 features to the Generation programme, aimed at children and youths, including the European premiere of a feature co-directed by Flight of the Conchords Jemaine Clement.
A total of 60 short and full-length films from 35 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions at the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 6-16). They include five long and nine short animated films.
Section head Maryanne Redpath said: “This diversity transcends all limits, in content, imagery, narrative structure and rhythm. Each of these animated gems creates its own universe and is a fantastic cinematic adventure, not just for children.”
The selection includes What We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary that follows the struggles of a group of New Zealand–based vampires to understand modern society and adapt to the ever-changing world around them. The ensemble includes Flights of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, who co-directs alongside Taika Waititi.
This year, Generation will be...
A total of 60 short and full-length films from 35 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions at the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 6-16). They include five long and nine short animated films.
Section head Maryanne Redpath said: “This diversity transcends all limits, in content, imagery, narrative structure and rhythm. Each of these animated gems creates its own universe and is a fantastic cinematic adventure, not just for children.”
The selection includes What We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary that follows the struggles of a group of New Zealand–based vampires to understand modern society and adapt to the ever-changing world around them. The ensemble includes Flights of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, who co-directs alongside Taika Waititi.
This year, Generation will be...
- 1/14/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl among 12 films announced for next year’s Berlinale.
The first titles for Berlinale 2014’s Generation programme have been unveiled by the festival.
With the complete programme to be announced in mid January, the selection includes the world premieres of Inés María Barrionuevo’s Atlántida and Matías Lucchesi’s Ciencias Naturales (Natural Sciences), as well as the European premiere of Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl.
In 2014, Generation will be returning to the recently reopened Zoo Palast cinema, as well as screening at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The section’s short film competition will take place in the CinemaxX at Potsdamer Platz.
The 12 titles announced are:
Wp = World Premiere / IP = International Premiere / Ep = European Premiere
Generation 14plus52 Tuesdays (Australia)
dir. Sophie Hyde (Ep)Atlántida (Argentina/France)
dir. Inés María Barrionuevo (Wp)Einstein and Einstein (People’s Republic of China)
dir. Cao Baoping (Ep)Galore (Australia)
dir. Rhys Graham (IP)God...
The first titles for Berlinale 2014’s Generation programme have been unveiled by the festival.
With the complete programme to be announced in mid January, the selection includes the world premieres of Inés María Barrionuevo’s Atlántida and Matías Lucchesi’s Ciencias Naturales (Natural Sciences), as well as the European premiere of Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl.
In 2014, Generation will be returning to the recently reopened Zoo Palast cinema, as well as screening at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The section’s short film competition will take place in the CinemaxX at Potsdamer Platz.
The 12 titles announced are:
Wp = World Premiere / IP = International Premiere / Ep = European Premiere
Generation 14plus52 Tuesdays (Australia)
dir. Sophie Hyde (Ep)Atlántida (Argentina/France)
dir. Inés María Barrionuevo (Wp)Einstein and Einstein (People’s Republic of China)
dir. Cao Baoping (Ep)Galore (Australia)
dir. Rhys Graham (IP)God...
- 12/12/2013
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
Adolescent Grunge: Kishi Takes Musical Trip Into Adulthood
Undoubtedly making it difficult to find solemnity with a film that opens with a posse of teenagers repeatedly mumbling the lyrics ‘Natasha I wanna cum in your face,” for all the explicit attempts at creating meaningful poetic imagery with their music- or not- Mexican helmer Samuel Kishi’s quad teenage boy portrait We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa), a name that comes from Marijuana and a Spanish slang word for vagina, has a certain kind of street-smart charm that is at once despicably dirty-minded, as is expected of boys of that age, and also rather endearing.
The premise is simple. Four boys, Alex (Alejandro Gallardo), Moy (Moises Galindo), Bolter (Arnold Ramirez) and Rafa (Rafael Andrade Munoz) are part of an extremely underground, almost non-existent, garage “punk” band that clearly only has one original song, but which needs another great hit single...
Undoubtedly making it difficult to find solemnity with a film that opens with a posse of teenagers repeatedly mumbling the lyrics ‘Natasha I wanna cum in your face,” for all the explicit attempts at creating meaningful poetic imagery with their music- or not- Mexican helmer Samuel Kishi’s quad teenage boy portrait We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa), a name that comes from Marijuana and a Spanish slang word for vagina, has a certain kind of street-smart charm that is at once despicably dirty-minded, as is expected of boys of that age, and also rather endearing.
The premise is simple. Four boys, Alex (Alejandro Gallardo), Moy (Moises Galindo), Bolter (Arnold Ramirez) and Rafa (Rafael Andrade Munoz) are part of an extremely underground, almost non-existent, garage “punk” band that clearly only has one original song, but which needs another great hit single...
- 12/3/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- IONCINEMA.com
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