Three Latin American films, from Mexico and Chile, were awarded at the 2020 edition of the Tribeca Film Festival: Rodrigo Reyes’ 499, Gerardo Naranjo’s Kokoloko, and Gaspar Antillo’s Nobody Knows I’m Here / Nadie sabe que estoy aquí.
499’s director of photography Alejandro Mejia was the winner of the award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary Film. In a statement the jury said: “The filmmakers did an incredible job of weaving this fictional story into what’s happening today with the disappeared and to marry such grand visions that cinema can only do.” A creative documentary, the film images a ghostly Conquistador who arrives in modern Mexico, upon the 500-year anniversary of the Spanish Conquest. As he journeys toward the capital city, he remembers events from his past while encountering the testimonies of real people, the survivors of contemporary violence. History and the present begin to merge, giving nightmarish reflection on the enduring legacy of colonialism in our world today.
Noé Hernández was presented with the Best Actor Award in an International Narrative Feature Film for his performance in Kokoloko, “For his raw and brave performance, taking a giant leap of faith, hand-to-hand with his director” wrote the jury in a statement. Set in a tropical seaside village, the film tells the story of Marisol who pursues personal freedom while navigating between the two men in her life—her lover, and her violent cousin who is keeping her captive.
And from Chile, Antillo was the winner of the Best New Narrative Director Award for Nobody Knows I’m Here. “A film that felt vital and alive, and every time we thought we knew who the protagonist was or what the world was it evolved and revealed more of itself to us,” said the jury in a written statement. The film follows Memo, who lives on a remote Chilean sheep farm, hiding a beautiful singing voice from the outside world. A recluse with a glittery flair, he can't stop dwelling on the past, but what will happen once someone finally listens?
While the public screenings of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival were postponed, the festival decided to move forward with their juried competitions, and announced the award winners this evening via Instagram.
