The Colombian film El abrazo de la serpiente / Embrace of the Serpent (pictured left) by Ciro Guerra was the winner of the award for Best Film at the 19th edition of the Lima Film Festival it was announced tonight at the closing night ceremony.
Guerra’s film, which had its world premiere at Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes where it won the top prize, tells two stories taking place in 1909 and 1940. Both star Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his tribe, and his journey with two scientists, German Theodor Koch-Grunberg and American Richard Evan Schultes looking for the Yakruna, a sacred plant difficult to find.
The Cuban film La obra del siglo / The Project of the Century by Carlos Quintela was the winner of the Special Jury Prize, while Chilean director Pablo Larraín won the award for Best Director for his film El club / The Club.
The Mexican film 600 millas / 600 Miles by Gabriel Ripstein was presented with the awards for Best First Film, and for Best Actor (Krystian Ferrer). Salvador del Solar’s Magallanes from Peru was the winner of the Audience Award.
Another Colombian film was also awarded for Best Documentary: Carta a una sombra / Letter to a Shadow (pictured right) by Daniela Abad and Miguel Salazar. The film is a poignant portrait of human rights activist and professor Héctor Abad Gómez, who was murdered in 1987. The Mexican film Retratos de una búsqueda / Portraits of a Search by Alicia Calderón got a Special Jury Mention.
The 19th edition of the Lima Film Festival took place August 7-15 in Peru.
