Carla Gutiérrez at the 46th News & Documentary Emmy Award ceremony. Photo credit: Pure Nonfiction
Peruvian-American director and editor Carla Gutiérrez was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Direction in Documentary for her debut feature Frida at the 46th News & Documentary Emmy Awards, held on June 26 in New York City.
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of Frida Kahlo, Frida tells the artist’s story through her own words for the first time. Drawing from her illustrated diary, revealing letters, essays, and candid print interviews—and brought vividly to life through lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork—the film offers a unique perspective on one of the most enduring cultural figures of the 20th century.
“I’m learning that a heart that is broken is also broken open. This process of contemplating her own sorrow and expressing it out loud is not without devastating despair, but it’s also how you know that you’re living a full life,” Gutiérrez shared in her acceptance speech.
Gutiérrez, a member of American Cinema Editors, has edited the Oscar-nominated films RBG and La Corona. Her work has been recognized at Sundance, Tribeca, Berlinale, the Critics’ Choice Awards, the National Board of Review, and the duPont-Columbia Awards. She has also been nominated for an American Cinema Editors Eddie Award and a Primetime Emmy, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Following the acclaimed world premiere of Frida at Sundance last year, Gutiérrez was honored this January with the Truer Than Fiction Award at the 30th Independent Spirit Awards, which recognizes an emerging director of nonfiction features who has yet to receive significant recognition.
