Every year, the Festival of New Latin American Cinema arrives as an obligatory event for lovers of good cinema and culture in general, and the 41st edition this December is not be missed.
Reviewing the films in competition, the international exhibitions, theoretical meetings, tributes to filmmakers and a long list of collateral events, film-lovers realize, once again, that the fight against time will be a constant in these ten days – from the 5th to the 15th – when avid fans become selective hunters of what should not slip through their hands.
Spectators do not disdain the opinions of critics and specialists, but are implacable when it comes to issuing their own, hence it is not uncommon to see them exchanging verdicts and sentences, minutes before the start of the show, or as they leave the theater.
This 41st Festival is dedicated to the centenary of Santiago Álvarez, the Argentine film La odisea de los giles, by Sebastián Borensztein, was presented at the inaugural gala, at the Karl Marx theatre on the 5th, with the participation of the Cuban National Ballet, in a tribute to Alicia Alonso. Borensztein’s film, set in Argentina in 2001, is a tragicomedy of strong social content, applauded internationally and a great success with audiences in his country.
In all, 167 works are participating in the competition’s different special categories, the product of a long selection process, since organizers of the 41st Festival wanted to offer the best of our continent and the international arena.
Among the feature films in competition (one of the most followed) there are 21 films, with Argentina again at the head, presenting five titles, if co-productions are counted. Our country will participate with Buscando a Casal, by Jorge Luis Sánchez, a historical drama focused on the figure of the poet Julián del Casal. There are many high-quality titles in the contest, but there is one that should not be missed, Araña, by Chilean Andrés Wood.
And if you’re looking for recommendations, look, no matter what, among international screenings for Parásito, by Korean director Boon Joon-ho, winner at the last Cannes Film Festival, and also Marighella, by Brazilian director Wagner Moura, and Mientras dure la guerra (Spain), by Alejandro Amenábar. And don’t forget one that concerns us and will allow us to form our own opinions, after so much has already been said: Red Wasp, by French director Olivier Assayas.
There are many more, but we will have to see them, amidst of the usual analyses and polemics, since the Festival itself is an embrace of art, enjoyment and intelligence for those who let themselves be carried away.
IN COMPETITION
- 21 feature-length fiction films
- 19 short and medium-length films
- 18 debuts
- 21 documentaries (feature length)
- 10 documentaries (short and medium-length)
- 23 animated films
- 25 unpublished scripts
- 30 posters
(Granma)