The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed an unexpected and astonishing film renaissance throughout Latin America. Largely influenced and inspired by the so-called New Argentine Cinema, and propelled by creative hybrid models of production, a young and enthusiastic generation of filmmakers is drastically changing how the region sees and represents itself on the big screen. Founded in 2001 by Carlos A. Gutiérrez and Monika Wagenberg, Cinema Tropical has played a major role in introducing U.S. audiences to this burgeoning Latin American cinema. The New York–based nonprofit media arts organization began distributing, programming, and promoting Latin American film at the outset of the biggest boom in Latin American cinema in decades, and this series presents standout examples by some of the region's most accomplished and innovative contemporary filmmakers.
Organized by Jytte Jensen, Curator, Department of Film, with special thanks to Mary Jane Marcasiano, Tatiana García, Amber Shields, and Mara Behrens.
Historias extraordinarias (Extraordinary Stories)
(Mariano Llinás, Argentina, 2008, 245 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Three unconnected tales featuring main characters known only as X, Z, and H, respectively, branch out into a labyrinth of plots and subplots in a vast narrative that moves from a small town in Argentina to Africa and back. Llinás's four-hour film is the single most accomplished work in recent Argentine cinema, an audacious celebration of the art of storytelling in cinema. With Walter Jakob, Agustín Mendilaharzu, Llinás.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 2:00pm (Introduced by Llinás); Thursday, May 5, 2011, 6:00pm (Introduced by Llinás); Friday, May 6, 2011, 3:00 pm; Saturday, May 7, 2011, 1:00pm; Sunday, May 8, 2011, 4:00pm; Monday, May 9, 2011, 4:00pm
Turistas
(Alicia Scherson, Chile, 2009, 105 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) After a heated argument on their way to vacation, Carla, a woman in her mid-30s, is ditched by her husband, so she decides to continue the trip by herself. She arrives at a lush National Park, where a series of incidents and encounters send on a personal adventure. Scherson's enticingly fresh take on the road movie is a resonant meditation on emotion. With Aline Kuppenheim, Marcelo Alonso, Diego Noguera.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 7:00pm (Introduced by Scherson); Saturday, May 14, 2011, 2:00pm (Introduced by Scherson)
Trópico de Cáncer (Tropic of Cancer)
(Eugenio Polgovsky, Mexico, 2004, 52 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) The powerful documentary Trópico de Cáncer is a meticulous account of the perilous conditions faced by a group of families living in the arid desert. In their quest for survival, they hunt animals to sell on the highway. Visually astonishing and with a surprising narrative drive, Polgovsky's documentary debut—along with his follow-up film The Inheritors—has established him as one of Mexico's most promising documentarians.
Thursday, May 5, 2011, 4:00pm; Saturday, May 14, 2011, 2:00pm
Copacabana
(Martín Rejtman, Argentina, 2007, 56 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Taking the annual celebration of the Virgin of Copacabana in a Bolivian neighborhood in Buenos Aires as its point of departure, Rejtman's first incursion into nonfiction filmmaking is a sober, meticulous portrait of Argentina's Bolivian community. Featuring minutely detailed mise-en-scène and minimal dialogue, Rejtman's work is playfully structured in reverse, as the film begins with the festivities, follows with the rehearsals, and ends with the immigrants' original journey from Bolivia.
Entrenamiento elemental para actores (Elementary Training for Actors)
(Martín Rejtman, Federico León, Argentina, 2009, 52 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Rejtman, a longtime Cinema Tropical favorite (the organization released his films Silvia Prieto and The Magic Gloves), is often referred to as the father of New Argentinean Cinema. In this sharp, witty featurette about a theater workshop for children lead by a fervent professor, Rejtman remains true to the deadpan minimalist humor that distinguishes his earlier work. With Fabián Arenillas, Ulises Bercovich, Luca Damperat.
Copacabana and Entrenamiento are shown together. Friday, May 6, 2011, 8:00pm (Introduced by Rejtman, New York premiere); Sunday, May 15, 2011, 5:30pm (New York premiere)
Toro negro
(Pedro González-Rubio, Carlos Armella, Mexico, 2005, 87 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Toro Negro delves deep into the life of Fernando Pacheco, a hapless young bullfighter who fights not in big arenas but at parties in small Mayan communities in the Yucatán Peninsula. Fernando is heartwarming and honest, but he's also an alcoholic, prone to violent outbursts and impulsive behavior. González-Rubio (director of the acclaimed Alamar) and Armella show Fernando's raw human passion and conflicts from a disturbingly intimate distance.
Saturday, May 7, 2011, 8:00pm; Friday, May 13, 2011, 7:00pm
25 Watts
(Pablo Stoll, Juan Pablo Rebella, Uruguay, 2001, 94 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of 25 Watts, Stoll and the late Rebella's debut, which consolidated Uruguay's influential role in the recent revitalization of Latin American cinema. A wry, fresh, and funny slacker comedy shot in black and white in Montevideo, 25 Watts launched Control Z Films, the production company created by Stoll, Rebella, and Fernando Epstein that initiated a prolific and exciting period for young Uruguayan filmmakers. With Daniel Hendler, Jorge Temponi, Alfonso Tort.
Sunday, May 8, 2011, 1:30 pm; Monday, May 16, 2011, 8:00 pm
Santiago
(João Moreira Salles, Brazil, 2006, 80 min. In English, Portuguese with English subtitles) The filmmaker interviews his family's remarkable Brazilian butler, a complex, cultured man adept in diplomatic missions and scholarly research. Presented in collaboration with Cinema Tropical and Tribeca Film Festival.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 6:00pm; Sunday, May 15, 2011, 3:30pm
Una semana solos (A Week Alone)
(Celina Murga, Argentina, 2008, 110 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Murga's follow-up to her acclaimed Ana and the Others follows a group of kids in a gated community in suburban Buenos Aires who are left alone while their parents are on holiday. Murga's film is a subtle exploration of class and childhood. With Natalia Gómez Alarcón, Manuel Aparicio, Mateo Braun.
Thursday, May 12, 2011, 4:30 pm (Introduced by Murga); Saturday, May 14, 2011, 8:00 pm (Introduced by Murga)
El vuelco del cangrejo (Crab Trap)
(Oscar Ruiz Navia, Colombia, 2009, 95 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Daniel, a mysterious man from the city, arrives in an isolated village on Colombia's Pacific coast and gets a temporary job to raise enough money to move on. During his stay, he encounters the local Afro-Colombian traditions and sees how they're challenged by recently arrived neighbors. Featuring stunningly beautiful cinematography, Navia's debut feature exemplifies the best of the up-and-coming Colombian cinema movement. With Rodrigo Vélez, Arnobio Salazar Rivas, Jaime Andrés Castaño.
Thursday, May 12, 2011, 8:00 pm; Monday, May 16, 2011, 4:00 pm
O ceu de Suely (Love for Sale/Suely in the Sky)
(Karim Aïnouz, Brazil, 2006, 88 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles) Aïnouz, one of the filmmakers at the forefront of contemporary Brazilian cinema, follows his internationally successful debut Madame Satã with a very different portrait of an indomitable survivor. Returning to her hometown in poverty-stricken northeastern Brazil, Hermila (Guedes) awaits the arrival of her boyfriend, but her spunk and zest for life take on an increasingly desperate edge when it becomes clear that he will not be coming. The director's major achievement is making the soulful decency of the townspeople and the rich colors of the empty landscape an integral part of the characterization of Hermila, who remains likeable despite even her most desperately miscalculated actions. With Hermila Guedes, Maria Menezes, Georgina Castro.
Friday, May 13, 2011, 4:30 pm; Sunday, May 15, 2011, 1:00 pm
Cinema Tropical, in partnership with Museum of the Moving Image, is proud to present the 2015 edition of the Cinema Tropical Festival celebrating the year's best Latin American film productions. The Cinema Tropical Festival will feature the winners of the 5th Cinema Tropical Awards that were announced at a special ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters few days ago.
These winning films represent the vitality and the artistic excellence of contemporary Latin American cinema, and the festival offers a great platform for local audiences to discover the renewed and exciting world of the film production coming out from the region.
Special thanks to Alex García and Sandro Fiorin, FiGa Films; Richard Matson, Matson Films; Pascale Ramonda; Paulina Portela and Pablo Mazzola, OBRA Cine.
All screenings at: THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE 36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria, NY (718) 777-6888 / www.movingimage.us
Friday, February 6, 7pm | Buy Tickets EL LUGAR DEL HIJO | THE MILITANT (Manuel Nieto Zas, Uruguay/Argentina, 120 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best Latin American Film of the Year
Co-produced by acclaimed Argentinean filmmaker Lisandro Alonso (Jauja), the second feature film by Uruguayan director Manuel Nieto Zas is "a powerful and thought-provoking film" (The Hollywood Reporter) and a poignant meditation on legacy. The film tells the story of Ariel (played by non-professional actor Felipe Dieste), a university student involved in militant leftist activism who is faced with some difficult decisions when his father suddenly dies, leaving him in charge of their troubled ranch and forcing him to take on the role of a middle class bourgeois. Set in 2002 –the year of a major financial crisis in the small South American nation– The Militant is “a cinematic essay on the grasp and the limits of activism” (Howard Feinstein, Screen Daily).
Saturday, February 7, 3pm | Buy Tickets PURGATORIO: A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF THE BORDER A film by Rodrigo Reyes (US/Mexico, 2013, 86 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best U.S. Latino Film (ex aequo)
Hailed as an “exquisitely crafted film with poetic overtones and a wide sweeping vision” by documentary filmmaker Alan Berliner, Rodrigo Reyes’ provocative essay film reimagines the U.S./Mexico border as a mythical place comparable to Dante’s purgatory, and leaving politics aside, he takes a fresh look at the brutal beauty of the border and the people caught in its spell. By capturing a stunning mosaic of compelling characters and broken landscapes that live on the both sides of the border, Reyes –one of Filmmaker Magazine’s New Faces of Independent Cinema– reflects on the flaws of human nature and the powerful absurdities of the modern world. An unusual border film in the auteur tradition of caméra-stylo, Purgatorio ultimately becomes a fable of humanity, an epic and visceral experience with powerful and lingering images.
Saturday, February 7, 6pm | Buy Tickets LAS MARTHAS A film by Cristina Ibarra (US, 68 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles) Winner – Best U.S. Latino Film (ex aequo) Q&A with filmmaker Cristina Ibarra
The annual debutante ball in Laredo, Texas is unlike any other in the country. In 1939, the Society of Martha Washington was founded to usher each year's debutantes (called "Marthas") into proper society at the Colonial Pageant and Ball. The girls' attendants also dress as figures from America's colonial history and participate in traditional ceremonies. The centerpiece of the festivities is the Martha Washington Pageant and Ball, when the girls are presented in elaborate dresses that take up to a year to create. Celebrated as “a striking alternative portrait of border-town life” (New York Times), Cristina Ibarra’s Las Marthas, follows two Mexican American girls carrying this gilded tradition on their shoulders during a time of economic uncertainty and tension over immigration.
Tuesday, February 25, 9pm | Buy Tickets LAS NIÑAS QUISPE | THE QUISPE GIRLS (Sebastián Sepúlveda, Chile/France/Argentina, 2013, 80 min. In Spanish with English subtitles). Winner - Best First Film
“In the remote, almost primeval world of a nearly isolated Chilean mountainscape in 1974, three goat-herding sisters survive, somewhat rootlessly after the death of a fourth sister. Pinochet’s rise to power is a distant echo, and the new dictator’s edict against herding threatens their meager livelihood. The aging matriarch, Justa, is suspicious of the clothing salesman who visits occasionally; the youngest sister, Luciana, holds on to her romantic desires. Using a mix of actors (including Catalina Saavedra from The Maid) and non-actors, including Digna Quispe, the real sisters’ niece, this mesmerizing film, based on a true and tragic story, tells an intimate tale against a stark yet magnificent landscape. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival as part of Critics’ Week.” – First Look
Tuesday, February 25, 9pm | Buy Tickets EL ROSTRO | THE FACE (Gustavo Fontán, Argentina, 2013, 64 min. In Spanish with English subtitles). New York Premiere. Winner – Best Director, Fiction Film
Directed by Gustavo Fontán –an accomplished Argentine filmmaker whose work is little known in this country– The Face is a lyrical and personal film shot in stunning black and white, where past and present, fiction and non-fiction mix together. A man who sails alone approaches an island on the Paraná River. Once he lands, he’s no longer alone. He shares a meal with another man –his father. There will also be a woman. And some kids. And nature, in the form of birds, plants, and the river, which is always present through its quietness and constant flowing. Fontán’s elegant and enigmatic feature film, was a selection of the Rome Film Festival, and was awarded the Best Director prize at the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival (BAFICI).
l.........................................With theSupport of:.................................. Media Sponsor:...............
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Cinema Tropical, in partnership with Village East Cinema, is proud to present the third annual edition of the Cinema Tropical Festival celebrating the year's best Latin American film productions. The Cinema Tropical Festival will feature the winners of the 4th Cinema Tropical Awards that were announced at a special ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters few days ago.
These winning films represent the vitality and the artistic excellence of contemporary Latin American cinema, and the festival offers a great platform for local audiences to discover the renewed and exciting world of the film production coming out from the region.
The Cinema Tropical Festival is presented in partnership with Village East Cinema and VOCES, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times Company. The Cinema Tropical Festival is sponsored by HBO and Hôtel Americano. Media Sponsors: Cinelatino, Remezcla, and LatAm Cinema. Community Partner: United Latino Professionals Social Network.
Special thanks to Cinema Guild, Strand Releasing, Film Movement, Taskovski Films, and Icarus Films.
All screenings at:
VILLAGE EAST CINEMA
189 Second Avenue (at 12th Street), New York City (212) 529-6998 / www.villageeastcinema.com / Tickets: $14
Monday, February 24, 7pm | Buy Tickets TANTA AGUA (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay, 102 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best First Film Intro by Co-Producer Tania Zarak
What could be worse than being 14 and on vacation with your father, stuck indoors during a seemingly endless rainstorm? Alberto and his two children, Lucia and Federico, set off to a hot springs resort for a short vacation. Alberto, who doesn't see his kids much since the divorce, refuses to allow anything to ruin his plans. But the springs are closed until further notice due to heavy rains, and Lucia's adolescent rebellion clashes against her father's enthusiastic efforts for family quality time. Winner of multiple awards at different international film festivals, the debut feature film by the directing duo of Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, extends the artistry of recent Uruguayan cinema.
Monday, February 24, 9pm | Buy Tickets LA CHICA DEL SUR / THE GIRL FROM THE SOUTH A film by José Luis García (Argentina, 2012) Winner for Best Director (Documentary)
Chance took photographer and filmmaker José Luis García to North Korea in July 1989 to attend the International Youth and Student Festival in Pyongyang, soon after the Tian’anmen massacre. But what seemed to be just another meeting of socialist delegations from all over the world –through one of the most impenetrable borders of the old communist world– becomes García’s obsession when South Korean peace activist Im Su-kyong shows up and revolutionizes the event by announcing she will cross the border by foot to go back to her country. Twenty years after recording that fascinating period with his Super VHS camera, García decides to go back through the footsteps of that enigmatic woman. Zigzagging and explosive, La chica del sur is marked by a unique life in the middle of the hurricane of history, but also by the eye –and a voice reflecting on its own process– of a filmmaker who sees in one character the condensation of everything he believes to be worth filming.
Tuesday, February 25, 7pm | Buy Tickets WONDER WOMEN! THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES (Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, US, 2012, 65 min. In English) Winner – Best U.S. Latino Film (ex aequo) Intro by Producer Kelcey Edwards
Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines traces the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman. From the birth of the comic book superheroine in the 1940s to the blockbusters of today, Wonder Women! looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about women’s liberation. Wonder Women! goes behind the scenes with Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, comic writers and artists, and real-life superheroines such as Gloria Steinem, Kathleen Hanna and others, who offer an enlightening and entertaining counterpoint to the male-dominated superhero genre.
Tuesday, February 25, 9pm | Buy Tickets MOSQUITA Y MARI (Aurora Guerrero, US, 2012, 86 min. In English) Winner – Best U.S. Latino Film (ex aequo)
Mosquita y Mari, Aurora Guerrero's assured directorial debut and a Sundance official selection, is a coming of age story that focuses on a tender friendship between two young Chicanas. Yolanda and Mari are growing up in Huntington Park, Los Angeles and have only known loyalty to one thing: family. When Mari moves in across the street from Yolanda, they maintain their usual life routine, until an incident at school thrusts them into a friendship and into unknown territory. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces. Lost in their private world of unspoken affection, lingering gazes, and heart-felt confessions of uncertain futures, Yolanda's grades begin to slip while Mari's focus drifts away from her duties at a new job. Mounting pressures at home collide with their new-found connection, forcing them to choose between their obligations to others and staying true to themselves.
Wednesday, February 26, 7pm | Buy Tickets EL ALCALDE / THE MAYOR (Emiliano Altuna, Carlos F. Rossini, and Diego Osorno, Mexico, 2012, 81 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best Documentary
Winner of the Best Documentary prize at the Cartagena and the Baja Film Festivals, El alcalde is an engrossing portrait of Mexican millionaire Mauricio Fernandez, a larger-than-life and frequently controversial politician who is the mayor of Latin America's wealthiest municipality. He presents himself as an active ruler who is capable of cleaning his municipality of the drug cartels presence without questioning the methods he uses to achieve it. El alcalde describes the wild times of a country that is marked by violence and the complete discredit of the ruling class.
Wednesday, February 26, 9pm | Buy Tickets POST TENEBRAS LUX (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Germany/Netherlands, 2012, 155 min. In Spanish, English, and French, with English subtitles) Winner – Best Director (Fiction Film)
"Post Tenebras Lux ("light after darkness") is a new autobiographical feature from acclaimed director Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light), winner of the Best Director prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Ostensibly the story of an upscale, urban family whose move to the Mexican countryside results in domestic crises and class friction, it’s a stunningly photographed, impressionistic psychological portrait of a family and their place within the sublime, unforgiving natural world. Reygadas conjures a host of unforgettable, ominous images: a haunting sequence at dusk as Reygadas’s real-life daughter wanders a muddy field as farm animals loudly circle and thunder and lightning threaten; a glowing-red demon gliding through the rooms of a home; a husband and wife visiting a swingers’ bathhouse with rooms named after famous philosophers. By turns entrancing and mystifying, Post Tenebras Lux palpably explores the primal conflicts of the human condition." – Film Forum
Thursday, February 27, 7pm – Q&A with filmmaker | Buy Tickets VIOLA (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina, 2012, 65 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best Fiction Film
Directed by Matías Piñeiro, one of Argentina's most sensuous and daring new voices, Viola is a mystery of romantic entanglements and intrigues among a troupe of young actors in a small theater in Buenos Aires performing Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Acclaimed by the New York Times' Manohla Dargis as "a triumph of narrative imagination and bottom-line ingenuity," the film landed on several top best lists of the year.
Thursday, February 27, 9pm | Buy Tickets EL OTRO DÍA / THE OTHER DAY (Ignacio Agüero, Chile, 120 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Special Jury Mention – Best Director, Documentary
The home of acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Ignacio Agüero is filled with objects that speak to both his family's history and to the tumultuous history of his country. Seeking to make a quiet, personal film centered on his home and his memories, it is fitting that The Other Day begins when a ray of sunlight shines on a photograph of his parents. Agüero turns the tables on his uninvited guests, and asks them if he may knock on their doors too. His spontaneous excursions into their neighborhoods and homes broaden the film's scope, bringing different aspects of contemporary Chilean society into the picture. Interweaving these threads, collapsing past and present, interior and exterior, the film is an elegant reflection on layers of history, and ways they are reflected in families and communities. The film was awarded with the Best Documentary prize at the Guadalajara Film Festival and Best Chilean Film at FIDOCS.
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New York City, September 11 – October 1, 2013 Presented by Cinema Tropical, NYU CLACS and NACLA
Cinema Tropical, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University (NYU CLACS), and the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) present Chile: 40, a special film series observing the 40th anniversary of the Chilean coup d’etat. The September 11, 1973 event overthrew the democratically-elected government of Salvador Allende and installed the notorious dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, lasting until 1990 and having immense international consequences. Chile: 40 will present six different programs in different parts of the city and in conjunction with other organizations featuring recent and older films showcasing different aspects of the aftermath and of legacy of the coup in the South American country and internationally from 1973 to the present. The series will feature the work of Ignacio Agüero, one of the leading Latin American documentary filmmakers, who will travel to New York to present his films.
Special Guest: Ignacio Agüero is an award-winning Chilean filmmaker, writer, and producer. He is one of the leading documentary filmmakers in Latin America. He has also acted in films, including some directed by Raul Ruiz. Agüero was one of the directors of the 1988 “No” political television advertisements that contributed to the end of Pinochet’s reign. He served as the first president of the Documentary Filmmaker’s Association of Chile, of which he is a founding member. Retrospectives of Agüero’s body of work have been held in Santiago, Lima, and the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI). Programmed by Jerónimo Rodríguez and José Miguel Palacios.
Additional support provided by: The Department of Cinema Studies at NYU, Columbia Global Centers - Latin America (Santiago), The Hispanic Institute at Columbia University, and The MA in Film Studies Program at Columbia University. Special thanks to Livia Bloom (Icarus Films), and Steve Holmgren (UnionDocs).
Full Schedule
Wednesday, September 11, 6:30pm New York University: Cinema Studies, Michelson Theater Room 648, 721 Broadway, New York, NY / Queries: ss162@nyu.edu Presented by the Colloquium for Unpopular Culture
"9/11/1973: THE PUBLIC LIFE OF AN ENDLESS DAY." Selection of short films: Brises / Breezes (Enrique Ramirez, 2008, 13 min.); September 11th (Claudia Aravena, 2002, 6 min.); Somos + (Pedro Chaskel & Pablo Salas, 1985, 16 min.); No + (Colectivido Acciones De Arte, Cada, 1983, 6 min.); Mitburger! - Zum Gedenken An Salvatore Allende/ Fellow Citizens (Gerhard Scheumann & Walter Heynowski, 1974, 8 min.); La Derniere Interview De Salvador Allende (Rtb, 1973, 5 min.); Gonzalo Millan Reading "La Ciudad", An Excerpt From Blue Jay, Notas Del Exilio (Leopoldo Gutiérrez, 2001, 2 min.). Panel discussion follows screening with filmmaker Ignacio Agüero, writer Diamela Eltit, professor Carl Fisher, and PhD candidate José Miguel Palacios.
Thursday, September 12, 6pm Columbia University: Casa Hispánica 612 West 116th Street, Room 201, New York, NY / www.columbia.edu/cu/spanish Presented by The Hispanic Institute at Columbia University, Columbia Global Centers: Latin America (Santiago), the MA in Film Studies Program at Columbia University. NO OLVIDAR / NOT TO FORGET (Ignacio Agüero, Chile, 1982, 30 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) The women of the Maureira family tell of their experience searching for five men of their family all across Chile, after their arrest by the police, a few days after the military coup of 1973. After 6 years of searching, they found their relative’s bodies buried in a limestone mine, near their homes in Lonquén, a town near Santiago. Filmed secretely during the dictatorship, it was the first time in Chile that there was official evidence that a missing person was arrested and killed by state agencies, refuting the falsehood of all government information. Screening is followed by a conversation with filmmaker Ignacio Agüero and professors Richard Peña (Film Studies, Columbia University) and Nara Milanich (Institute for Latin American Studies, Columbia University).
Friday, September 13, 6pm New York University: King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center Auditorium 53 Washington Square South, New York, NY / www.clacs.as.nyu.edu Co-presented by Icarus Films
EL DIARIO DE AGUSTÍN / AGUSTÍN NEWSPAPER (Ignacio Agüero, Chile, 2009, 80 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) El Diario de Agustin is an expose on the media cover up of human rights abuses of the Pinochet dictatorship through its newspaper El Mercurio. This newspaper, belonging to the Edwards family for five generations, has been the most powerful and influential media source in Chile's history. The film chronicles the story of young journalists from Diario de Agustin who culled through the pages of El Mercurio to reveal disinformation, cover-ups, and the endorsement of human rights violations, providing a portrait of the recent past as seen through the eyes of young journalists today. Screening followed by discussion with the director and special guests.
Sunday, September 15, 7:30pm UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art 322 Union Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY / www.uniondocs.org Co-presented by Icarus Films
AQUÍ SE CONSTRUYE / UNDER CONSTRUCTION (Ignacio Agüero, 2000, Chile, 58 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) This documentary by Ignacio Agüero, one of the most prominent documentarians to have emerged in Latin America in the past 30 years, is a cornerstone for understanding today's democratic Chile and the reverberations of the neoliberal model established during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. In a consumerist era in which everything is destroyed and replaced, Aguero’s gaze takes the stance of an anonymous war correspondent in an undeclared war where the battlefield is the city and its inhabitants never learn about the destruction of their past. Over a number of years, this intimate documentary builds a portrait of a neighbor who observes the demolition of the house next door and the construction of a building on the same site, creating an illuminating account of what development and modernization mean for a country. Considered one of the most important films in the history of Chilean cinema, it captures the devastating and revealing passage of time, subtly piecing together a puzzle about the impact of urban change. Conversation with director moderated by film critic Jerónimo Rodríguez follows screening.
Thursday, September 19, 6pm New York University: King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center Auditorium 53 Washington Square South, New York, NY / www.clacs.as.nyu.edu EL MOCITO / THE YOUNG SERVANT (Jean de Certeau and Marcela Said, 2011, Chile, 70 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Jorgelino is a farm worker in the south of Chile. For many years he worked as an agent of the repressive machinery of General Pinochet´s regime. Jorgelino was the servant who brought the cups of coffee in the middle of torture sessions, the one who fed the prisioners and disposed of their bodies. Twenty years later he is being taken to court and being forced to remember. El Mocito is a psycological portrait of a human being destroyed by his past. A man who participated in the horrors and crimes of the Pinochet dictatorship and that today takes conscience and looks for redemption. Conversation with special guests follows screening.
Tuesday, October 1, 6pm New York University: King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center Auditorium 53 Washington Square South, New York, NY / www.clacs.as.nyu.edu NEWEN MAPUCHE: THE FORCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND (Elena Varela López, Chile, 120 min. In Spanish and Mapuche with English subtitles) The documentary recounts the story of the Mapuche people, an indigenous community of the south of Chile; a story of their struggle to reclaim their land and the consequences of the policies of repression applied by the Chilean State. With this setting of conflict, and the murder of Alex Lemun, a young Mapuche, the filmmaker Elena Varela embarks on an investigational journey with one purpose: to tell the story of the last 10 years of struggle of the Mapuche community. The police detain Elena and they confiscate her film material. The filmmaker, now living the political persecution in her own skin, narrates the story from her experience. Introduced by Mapuche journalist Pedro Cayuqueo and indigenous film scholar Amalia Cordova.
Cinema Tropical, in partnership with 92YTribeca, is proud to present the second annual edition of the Cinema Tropical Festival celebrating the year's best Latin American film productions. The Cinema Tropical Festival will feature the winners of the Cinema Tropical AWARDS that were announced at a special ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters few days ago.
These winning films represent the vitality and the artistic excellence of contemporary Latin American cinema, and the festival offers a great platform for local audiences to discover the renewed and exciting world of the film production coming out from the region.
The Cinema Tropical Festival is presented in partnership with 92YTribeca and VOCES, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times Company. The Cinema Tropical Festival is presented by Cinelatino and sponsored by Hôtel Americano and the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York. Additional support provided by the Rolex Institute. Community Partner: United Latino Professionals Social Network.
Special thanks to Cinema Guild, Axolote Cine, CAT & Docs, Errante Producciones and Alpha Violet.
*Please note. Due to the winter storm, the screenings originally scheduled for 2/8, have been rescheduled for Friday, February 15.
Friday, February 15, 2013, 7pm THE LAST CHRISTEROS | LOS ÚLTIMOS CRISTEROS A film by Matías Meyer (Mexico/Netherlands, 2011, 90 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best Director, Feature Film BUY TICKETS
"The final days of a band of 1930s Christian rebels in the central Mexican wilderness are depicted with majestic stoicism in Matias Meyer's elegant ode to independence" - Robert Koehler, Variety.
“In 1926, the Mexican government began the strict enforcement of the anti-clerical laws dictated in the 1917 Mexican Constitution, and it introduced an array of new measures against demonstrations of faith. This religious persecution, aimed mostly at Roman Catholics, sparked the Cristero War, a conflict waged mostly by peasants against the well-trained Mexican army. Although the Cristero War officially took place between 1926 and 1929, groups of men continued fighting for their right to worship freely for several years afterward. Matias Meyer's third feature film, The Last Christeros, retells the story of these tenacious men, resolved to openly uphold their beliefs, even in the face of certain death.” – Toronto International Film Festival
Friday, February 15, 2013, 9pm THE STUDENT | EL ESTUDIANTE A film by Santiago Mitre (Argentina, 2011, 110 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner – Best First Film BUY TICKETS
"An intelligent, engrossing portrayal of politics as a game, an addiction, and a vicious cycle (...) a truly universal political thriller." - Dennis Lim, Artforum
“Politics is a game, a seduction, and a vicious cycle in Santiago Mitre’s gripping, fine-tuned debut, the story of Roque (Esteban Lamothe), a university student who falls for a radicalized teacher and organizer (Romina Paula) and soon finds himself entangled with Buenos Aires campus activists, in a world as heated and byzantine as the one inhabited by the student revolutionaries of the mythic 1960s. Anchored by Lamothe’s nuanced, charismatic performance, The Student complicates the classic bildungsroman narrative of education and disillusionment, emphasizing the endless adaptability—or malleability—of its protagonist. An urgent attempt to grapple with the legacy of Peronism in present-day Argentina, the film abounds with telling details and rich local color. But it’s also a truly universal political thriller, one that illuminates the conspiratorial pleasure, the ruthless hustle, and the moral fog of politics as it is practiced.” – New York Film Festival
All films in Spanish or Portuguese with English subtitles
Please note, CANÍCULA (Jose Álvarez, Mexico, 2011) winner of the prize for Best Director, Documentary Film, will be screened at MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight on February 21 & 22.
Past Screenings:
Saturday, February 9, 2013, 6pm THE LIFEGUARD | EL SALVAVIDAS A film by Maite Alberdi (Chile, 2011, 67 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Winner - Best Documentary Film
“Meet Mauricio, a lifeguard on a popular Chilean beach. Driven by fierce dedication to safety rules and regulations, Mauricio frustrates beachgoers and his seemingly lackadaisical colleagues as much as they frustrate him. Bathers are scolded, complaints are filed, accusations are made—all contributing to a simmering feud with Jean-Pierre, Mauricio’s chief rival and detractor. First-time filmmaker Maite Alberdi brings it all to life with a vibrant palette, tactile depth of field, and a surprisingly suspenseful day at the beach.” – Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Saturday, February 9, 2013, 7:30pm NEIGHBORING SOUNDS | O SOM AO REDOR A film by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil, 2012. In Portuguese with English subtitles) Winner - Best Fiction Film
A palpable sense of unease hangs over a single city block in the coastal town of Recife, Brazil. Home to prosperous families and the servants who work for them, the area is ruled by an aging patriarch and his sons. When a private security firm is reluctantly brought in to protect the residents from a recent spate of petty crime, it unleashes the fears, anxieties and resentments of a divided society still haunted by its troubled past. Kleber Mendonça Filho's Neighboring Sounds is a thrilling debut by a major new voice in world cinema.
With the support of the Rolex Institute
TRIBUTE TO EVA NORVIND June 12 & 13, 2012
Presented by Cinema Tropical in partnership with NYU's Deutsches Haus and Scandinavia House. Additional support by the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York
The late Eva Norvind, aka Ava Taurel (born in Norway to Russian prince Paul Chegodayef Sakonsky and Finnish sculptress Johanna Kajuanus), was a larger-than-life figure, an unconventional and controversial sexual pioneer whose life incredibly intersects with many random places and very unusual facets: from becoming Mexico’s Marilyn Monroe; to studying film and human sexuality and at New York University (NYU); and ultimately becoming New York City’s most famous dominatrix. Norvind died at the age of 62, on May 14, 2006, drowning in the waters of Oaxaca, Mexico.
This special tribute presented by Cinema Tropical, the Deutsches Haus at NYU and Scandinavia House, features a screening of Didn’t Do It For Love, the documentary film that renowned German filmmaker Monika Treut made about Eva’s life, as well as Born Without, the documentary film that Norvind directed and that was completed by her daughter Nailea after Norvind’s sudden death. The film, which went to win the Best Documentary Award at the Mexico City (FICCO) and Vancouver Film Festivals, tells the story of handicapped Mexican street musician José Flores.
Special thanks to Nailea Norvind, Paul Marchant (First Run Features), and María Elena Cabezut (Mexican Cultural Institute of New York).
Tuesday, June 12, 6:30pm - Deutsches Haus at New York University 42 Washington Mews / http://deutscheshaus.as.nyu.edu / (212) 998-8660
DIDN'T DO IT FOR LOVE Directed by Monika Treut, Germany, 1997, 80 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. With: Eva Norvind, Jan Baracz, Rene Cardona Jr., José Luis Cuevas, Nicolá Echevarría, Juan Ferrara, José Flores, Juan José Gurrola.
A fascinating look into the incredible life of sexual revolutionary Eva Norvind, alias Mistress Ava Taurel, born Eva Johanne Chegodaieva Skonskaya, the daughter of a Russian prince and a Finnish sculptress in Trondheim, Norway. The film recounts the phases in her adventurous life-story: from the early success as a showgirl in Paris and Québec, as a Nordic Marilyn Monroe in the Mexican B-movies of the sixties, and finally, as the most famous dominatrix in New York during the Eighties. Eva Norvind studied Forensic Psychology to be able to help sexual offenders as well as a way of searching for the dark secret of her own sexuality. It is the story of an odyssey through the wilderness of sexuality that has not yet reached its destination. Screening followed by discussion with special guests actress Naian González Norvind (Eva's granddaughter) and Mexican writer/film critic Naief Yehya.
Wednesday, June 13, 7pm - Scandinavia House 58 Park Avenue (at 38th Street) / www.scandinaviahouse.org / (212) 779-3587
NACIDO SIN | BORN WITHOUT Directed by Eva Norvind, Mexico, 2008, 86 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. With: José Flores, Graciela Flores, Nicolás Echevarría, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Nailea Norvind.
“José Flores was born without arms and with stunted legs that render him only three feet tall, but his outsized personality makes his physical attributes the least interesting thing about this complex man. A Mexico City street musician, doting husband, and father of six (with a seventh on the way), Flores navigates the world with few concessions to his disability and with an unbridled appetite for life. As unconventional as he may seem, his history is even more unexpected; charismatic from an early age, he has been a respected occasional actor in Mexican art cinema, including appearances in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain (1973) and the seminal Cabeza de Vaca (directed by Nicolás Echevarría, 1991). Flores is also, improbably, a bit of a ladies’ man. Directed by Norvind, and completed by her daughter after Norvind’s death, this intimate portrait doesn’t shy away from some of the more salacious details of Flores’ life.” – Los Angeles Film Festival. Screening followed by discussion with special guest actress Naian González Norvind (Eva's granddaughter).
Cinema Tropical, in partnership with 92YTribeca, is proud to launch a new annual festival celebrating the year's best Latin American film productions. The Cinema Tropical Festival will feature the winners of the Cinema Tropical AWARDS that were announced at a special ceremony at The New York Times' headquarters last December. These winning films represent the vitality and the artistic excellence of contemporary Latin American cinema, and the festival offers a great platform for local audiences to discover the renewed and exciting world of the film production coming out from the region.
The Cinema Tropical Festival is presented by Cinelatino and Dish LATINO, and sponsored by The Lift and The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York.
Special thanks to New Yorker Films, Strand Releasing, Icarus Films and El Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica.
Saturday, January 21, 2012, 6:30pm OCTUBRE Winner – Best Feature Film (Daniel and Diego Vega, Peru, 2010, 83 min.)
Clemente, a moneylender of few words, is a new hope for Sofía, his single neighbor, devoted to the October worship of Our Lord of the Miracles. They're brought together over a newborn baby, fruit of Clemente's relationship with a prostitute who's nowhere to be found. While Clemente is looking for the girl's mother, Sofía cares for the baby and looks after the moneylender's house. With the arrival of these beings in his life, Clemente has the opportunity to reconsider his emotional relations with people. Octubre, the first feature film from Peruvian brothers Daniel and Diego Vega, is a deadpan dark comedy incorporating influences ranging from Jim Jarmush and Aki Kaurismaki to Robert Bresson, and winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival-Un Certain Regard. A New Yorker Films release.
Saturday, January 21, 2012, 8:30pm LEAP YEAR | AÑO BISIESTO Winner – Best Director, Feature Film (Michael Rowe, Mexico, 2010, 94 min.)
Michael Rowe's debut feature film, winner of the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival tells the story of Laura, a young journalist living an isolated life in a cramped Mexico City flat, who is not lucky in love. The banality of her daily life stands in stark contrast to her nightly pursuit of sex and love. These short-lived affairs barely take the edge off her isolation, but then she meets the brooding, would-be actor Arturo. Their chemistry ignites feelings in Laura that leave her deeply troubled. The two embark on an increasingly dangerous sadomasochistic relationship in which pleasure, pain and love merge. Their physical relationship seems headed for a very dark place as her secret past resurfaces, pushing Arturo to the limit in this intense, powerful and at times deeply unsettling movie. A Strand Releasing release.
Sunday, January 22, 2012, 1pm NOSTALGIA DE LA LUZ | NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT Winner – Best Documentary. (Patricio Guzmán, 2010, France/Germany/Chile, 90 min.)
Winner of numerous international prizes and included in many best-of-the-year lists (including The Village Voice, indieWIRE, Reverse Shot, Houston Chronicle, Slant Magazine), Patricio Guzmán's latest film is a meditation on memory, history and eternity. Chile's remote Atacama Desert, 10,000 feet above sea level, provides stunningly clear views of the heavens. But it also holds secrets from the past—preserved corpses, from pre-Columbian mummies to recent explorers, miners and disappeared political prisoners. In this otherworldly place, earthly and celestial quests meld: archaeologists dig for ancient civilizations, women search for their dead and astronomers scan the skies for new galaxies. An Icarus Films release.
Sunday, January 22, 2012, 3pm THE TINIEST PLACE | EL LUGAR MÁS PEQUEÑO Winner – Best Director, Documentary Film, and Best First Film (Tatiana Huezo, Mexico, 2011, 104 min.)
Hailed as "one of the most impressive debuts by a Mexican filmmaker" by Robert Koehler (Variety), Huezo's remarkable film tells the story of Cinquera, a tiny place nestled in the mountains amidst the humid jungle that was ravaged by the bloody civil war that swept El Salvador between 1980 and 1992. The powerful and hypnotic documentary depicts a community that has learned to live with its sorrow, an annihilated town that re-emerges through the strength and deep love of its inhabitants for the land and people. With a lyrical eye, Huezo interweaves the simplicity of the town's present life with tragic testimonies of the past. The Tiniest Place is ultimately a story of resilience, hope and the ability of the human being to reinvent himself after surviving a tragedy.
All films in Spanish with English subtitles, in 35mm.
Presented by Sponsored by
Co-presenting Partners:
Panel discussion: 'From Buñuel to González Iñárritu: The Pitfalls of the National Cinema Debate'
Thursday, February 17, 7pm Americas Society 680 Park Avenue (at 68th Street)
The concept of 'national cinema' has been key in the emergence and development of film studies. Yet for all the talk and discussion around this concept, more often than not, it has failed to understand the intercultural and international nature of cinema. In the case of Mexican and Spanish cinema, the debate on what constitutes national cinema has been circulating the same unresolved concerns at least since Buñuel worked in Mexico decades ago.
Taking the case that this year's Mexico's submission to the Academy Awards is Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful (starring Spanish actor Javier Bardem and shot entirely in Barcelona), whilst Spain submitted Icíar Bollaín's También la lluvia / Even the Rain (shot in Bolivia and starring Mexican actor Gael García Bernal), this panel will bring to the forefront the limitations on the debate of the 'national cinema' focusing in particular on the interrelation between Spanish and Mexican cinema.
Panelists:
Gerard Dapena is a scholar of Hispanic Cinemas and Visual Culture. He has published and lectured on different aspects of Spanish and Latin American film and art history and taught at a number of colleges in the U.S.
Daniel Loría. Daniel Loría's writing on cinema and the film industry has appeared in indieWIRE and Not Coming to a Theater Near You. He holds an M.A. in cinema studies from New York University and a B.A. in the same field from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Paul Julian Smith is Distinguished Professor in the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Program at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. He is the author of fifteen books including: Amores Perros (BFI 2003), Desire Unlimited: The Cinema of Pedro Almodóvar (Verso, 2001) and Spanish Screen Fiction: Between Cinema and Television (Liverpool UP, 2009). He is a regular contributor to Sight & Sound and Film Quarterly.
Moderated by Carlos A. Gutiérrez, Director of Cinema Tropical.
Cinema Tropical and Ambulante present four Latin American films Documentary Fortnight 2011: MoMA's International Festival of Nonfiction Film and Media The Museum of Modern Art February 16 – 28, 2011
Cinema Tropical and Ambulante, the celebrated nonprofit organization created by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz, have partnered with The Museum of Modern Art to present four films as part of the 10th edition of Documentary Fortnight, its annual showcase of recent nonfiction film and media. As centerpiece of this year's festival is Nostalgia for the Light (2010, France/Spain/Chile), from master filmmaker Patricio Guzmán, widely respected for his documentaries about Chile (The Battle of Chile, The Pinochet Case), and who will be making his first trip to New York in many years for this New York premiere of his new film.
The other Latin American films that form part of this year's festival selection are Criada (2009, Argentina) directed by Matías Herrera Córdoba an emotional portrait of an 53-year-old Mapuche indigenous woman who works as a criada (raised maid) as she goes about her everyday routine; Un día menos (One Day Less, 2009 Mexico), Dariela Ludlow's first feature documentary shot with beautiful cinematography is about an elderly couple in their 80s and 90s that live from day to day in anticipation of the next visit from their extended family; and El ambulante (The Peddler, 2009 Argentina), directed by Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich. A film about filmmaking, The Peddler follows a man as he travels to small towns throughout Argentina to make dramatic films with the local townspeople. Dariela Ludlow and Eduardo de la Serna will travel to New York to present their work.
CRIADA. 2009. Argentina. Directed by Matías Herrera Córdoba. 53-year-old Hortensia lives in El Puesto, a small town in the northwest of Argentina in a verdant region at the foot of a mountain range between two rivers. Born in Patagonia as a member of the Mapuche indigenous group, she was taken at the age of 13 to Catamarca to become a maid. Since that time she has been part of one family and, like many criadas (raised maids), is not free. This portrait builds in emotional power as she silently goes about her everyday routine. In Spanish; English subtitles. 75 min. U.S. premiere. Sunday, February 20, 5:30pm; Monday, February 21, 4:30pm
NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT | NOSTALGIA POR LA LUZ. 2010. France/Germany/Chile. Directed by Patricio Guzmán. Guzmán's portrait of Earth among the heavens was shot at 10,000 feet above sea level, in South America's Atacama Desert, where astronomers study the night sky and secrets are buried. The arid climate and salt deposits preserve pre-Columbian mummies alongside relics of the political prisoners of the Pinochet regime who were assassinated and buried there. As astronomers consider the night sky and relatives search for loved ones in the desert sands, this hauntingly beautiful film reveals that life here is both eternal and finite. In Spanish; English subtitles. 90 min. An Icarus Films Release. New York premiere. Introduction and discussion with Patricio Guzmán. Monday, February 21, 8pm
Un día menos (One Day Less). 2009. Mexico. Directed by Dariela Ludlow. In the home they built in Acapulco, Carmen and Emetrio, an elderly couple in their 80s and 90s, live from day to day in anticipation of the next visit from their extended family. This intimate story captures their resilience and frailty, and the meaning of existence near the end of life. Ludlow's first feature documentary, shot with beautiful cinematography, poignantly captures the love and tensions of a couple as well as the solitary struggles they must face. 76 min. New York premiere. Introductions and discussions with Ludlow. Wednesday, February 23, 4:30pm; Thursday, February 24, 8pm
EL AMBULANTE | THE PEDDLER2009. Argentina. Directed by Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich. A film about filmmaking, The Peddler follows a man as he travels to small towns throughout Argentina to make dramatic films with the local townspeople. For the price of meals and a month's accommodations, he works with local authorities, recruits actors, devises a plot, ingeniously creates set pieces, and shoots the film; the entire town becomes involved. Once the film is screened, he packs his bags and heads for another town. In Spanish; English subtitles. 84 min. New York premiere. Introductions and discussions with Eduardo de la Serna. Wednesday, Februrary 23, 8pm; Thursday, February 24, 4:30pm
All screenings at The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters The Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019 / (212) 708-9400 / www.moma.org
-->This summer, Instituto Cervantes partners with Cinema Tropical to present films from the organization's celebrated film collection, showcasing the diversity of Latin American production over the past few years. Verano Tropical will feature eight films from different Latin American countries including a wide variety of genres, from ingenious comedies to highly stylized dramas and stirring documentaries.
All film (digitally) screened in their original language with English subtitles.
FREE ADMISSION
All screenings at:
Instituto Cervantes at Amster Yard 211 - 215 East 49th Street, New York City
Wednesday, July 7, 6:30pm HISTORIAS DE FÚTBOL | SOCCER STORIES (Andrés Wood, Chile, 1997, 90 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Just in tune with the 2010 edition of the World Cup, the 'Verano Tropical' film series kicks off with Andrés Wood acclaimed soccer film. Some say in Latin America, football (soccer to the US) is the center of everything. Soccer Stories uses this incredibly favored sport to explore a diverse Chilean geography and culture and link three Chilean lives: a third-division player from Santiago de Chile is handed a life-changing offer; a boy living in the Calama Desert must face making a bold sacrifice; and a football fan stuck in a remote corner of the southern island of Chiloé is given an unexpected chance to experience another kind of passion. Intro by film critic and writer Naief Yehya.
Wednesday, July 14, 6:30pm SUITE HABANA (Fernando Pérez, Cuba/Spain, 2003, 80 min.) A poetic homage to the city of Havana, this breathtaking film portrays Cuba's capital as no other art form has before. A loving and melancholic picture over a 24 hour period of life of this city, the film follows ten ordinary Habaneros as they go about their daily routine. There is no dialogue and no need for it either; music and natural sound accompany the multiplicity of images that weave a unique and intimate picture of a city full of contradictions and contrasts, a city of accomplished and frustrated dreams. Edited like a musical composition, Suite Habana oscillates between documentary and fiction. The ten characters range from ages 10 to 97, and represent the diversity of groups that form the city's social fabric. Each of them follows a narrative, and we follow their transformations as the workday ends and they prepare themselves to welcome the night, which brings about the daily renewal of this exceptional and fascinating city.
Wednesday, July 21, 6:30pm LA DESAZÓN SUPREMA: RETRATO INCESANTE DE FERNANDO VALLEJO | THE SUPREME UNEASINESS: INCESSANT PORTRAIT OF FERNANDO VALLEJO (Luis Ospina, Colombia, 2003, 90 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Colombian biographer, linguist, filmmaker, novelist, musician and biologist Fernando Vallejo came to global acclaim through filmmaker Barbet Schroeder's adaptation of his novel, "Our Lady of the Assassins." Vallejo's writing has been praised for its force and rigor, and critics have singled him out as one of the leading Latin American authors. Considered a provocateur by many for his politically incorrect and bold accusations, he is nonetheless an essential critic of the atrocities committed in his beloved country, from which he was forced to exile (he has lived in Mexico over 20 years). An intimate and extraordinary documentary about an eccentric iconoclast.
Wednesday, July 28, 6:30pm EL PERRO (Carlos Sorín, Argentina, 2004, 96 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) "Lovely! flawlessly directed by Carlos Sorin" — A.O. Scott, The New York Times In this warm-hearted and poignant road movie, a man and a dog embark on a delightful adventure across the stunningly beautiful Argentine Patagonia. Fifty-two-year-old Juan is laid off when the gas station where he has worked for the last 20 years is sold. Unemployed, middle-aged, unskilled, his luck turns in a most unexpected way. An elderly widow with little money gives Juan her late husband's dog, Lechien, as payment for repairing her car, but Lechien ends up being not just any dog; he is a pure breed Dogo Argentino, a potential dog show winner who may hold the key to Juan's future in his paw.
Wednesday, August 4, 6:30pm MI VIDA DENTRO | MY LIFE INSIDE (Lucía Gajá, Mexico, 2007, 120 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles) "In January 2003, 21-year-old Rosa Estela Olera Jiménez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico working as a nanny in Austin, Texas, is brought to trial for the homicide of 21-month-old Bryan Gutierrez, a young boy who died under mysterious circumstances while in her care. The prosecution is relentless in its demonization of Jiménez, a soft-spoken mother of two who was working to one day buy her mother a house and build a better life for herself in the land of opportunity. With a sweeping, lyrical focus, the film encompasses the obstacles, prejudices and Sisyphean struggles faced by many Mexican migrant workers who leave their lives behind to pursue the American dream. A powerful and heart-wrenching documentary, My Life Inside alternates between tense courtroom drama and moving personal profile, providing a cautionary tale about the experience of outsiders in the United States." – Hot Docs Film Festival. Presented as part of the 'Indocumentales / Undocumentaries: The US/Mexico Interdependent Film Series.'
Wednesday, August 11*, 6:30pm HERMANAS | SISTERS (Julia Solomonoff, Argentina/Spain, 2005, 88 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Natalia and Elena Levin, two sisters forced to separate as teenagers in 1975, right after Natalia's militant boyfriend Martin was disappeared by the military dictatorship, reunite in 1984 in a country foreign to both of them. Natalia, who has been living in exile in Spain, travels to visit Elena, who has just moved to suburban Texas with her husband and son. It's been nine years since they've seen each other and Natalia arrives eager to rebuild the ties of family love that she has missed so much. When she finds out that Elena has brought along the manuscript of their deceased father's last novel, Natalia reads it with anticipation that soon becomes trepidation – the unpublished novel unveils the story of their family during the dictatorship. Exploring the secrets and silences of a family and a society that lived under a decade of fear, complicity with the dictatorship and concealment, Solomonoff debuts with a compelling story in a film that shines with exceptional performances by Valeria Bertuccelli and Ingrid Rubio. *Q&A with filmmaker
Wednesday, August 18, 6:30pm HASTA EL ÚLTIMO TRAGO CORAZÓN | TILL THE LAST DROP… MY HEART (Beto Gómez, Mexico, 2006, 90 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) A declaration of love to Mexico and its cultural roots through the women who gave their voices and essence to Mexican music. This endearing documentary features the legendary Chavela Vargas, along with Lila Downs, Astrid Hadad, Eugenia Leon, La Negra Graciana, Iraida Noriega, and Chayito Valdéz, all of who share their intimacies, memories of their lives, their pain and feelings, and above all, their music.
Wednesday, August 25, 6:30pm DÍAS DE SANTIAGO (Josué Méndez, Peru, 2004, 83 min. In Spanish with English subtitles) Selected by over 80 Film Festivals worldwide and winning no less than a dozen prestigious awards, Josué Méndez´s extraordinary debut explores the tragic impossibility of a war veteran to re-integrate into civilian life. 23-year old Santiago (Pietro Sibille, in a "volcanic performance," Variety) returns home, weary from years of jungle fighting, searching for hope. But his native Lima has become a less than welcoming place. Unable to get a job or credit, or afford an education, misunderstood by his family, wife and friends whom he finds decadent and distant, Santiago's estrangement from an increasingly hostile and chaotic world deepens, as his anger and frustration rise. Through a powerful and original style of narration, Méndez vividly examines the effects of war upon those who carry it out.
Cinema Tropical, Film Movement, 92YTribeca and
the Consulate General of Colombia in New York present
the NY Premiere of Ciro Guerra's Award-Winning Colombian feature film
LOS VIAJES DEL VIENTO / THE WIND JOURNEYS
Starring renowned musician Marciano Martínez,
the film features the richness of Colombian popular Vallenato music
Thursday and Friday, May 27 & 28, 2010, 7pm
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street (at Canal Street) / (212) 601-1000
LOS VIAJES DEL VIENTO / THE WIND JOURNEYS A film by Ciro Guerra, Colombia, 2009, 117 min.
In Spanish, Bantu, Wayunayky and Ikn with English subtitles. Cast: Marciano Martínez (Ignacio Carrillo), Yull Nunez (Fermín Morales), Agustín Nieves (Nine), Erminia Martínez (Mujer Guajira), José Luis Torres (Meyo).
For most of his life, Ignacio Carrillo (played by the prominent Vallenato composer Marciano Martínez) has traveled the villages of northern Colombia, playing traditional songs on his accordion, a legendary instrument said to have once belonged to the devil. He eventually married and settled in a small town, leaving the nomadic life behind. But after the traumatic death of his wife, he vows to never play the accursed accordion again, and embarks on one last journey to return the instrument to its rightful owner.
On the way, Ignacio is followed by Fermín, a spirited teenager determined to become his apprentice. Tired of loneliness, Ignacio accepts the young man as his pupil and together they traverse the vast Colombian terrain, discovering the musical diversity of Caribbean culture. Hardened by a life of solitude, Ignacio tries to discourage Fermín from following in his footsteps, but destiny has different plans for them.
Cinema Tropical and 92YTribeca celebrate Ten Years of New Argentine Cinema
November 12 & 14, 2009 92YTribeca 200 Hudson St. (at Canal St.)
Despite the recent success of Lucrecia Martel's The Headless Woman, U.S. art-house audiences remain largely unfamiliar with the remarkable dynamism and vitality of the Argentinean cinema of the past decade. Cinema Tropical partners with 92YTribeca to pay tribute to the great influence and creative output of the cinema of this South American country featuring the work of four key filmmakers of this generation. In addition to Martel's astonishing debut feature La Ciénaga, the series also includes equally seminal works by three other Argentine writer/directors that any respectable cinephile should be familiar with: Martín Rejtman, Pablo Trapero and Adrián Caetano.
The series is sponsored by New York Loft Hostel. It is also made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Special thanks to Juan A. Figueroa, Daniela Bajar and Guido Herzovich.
All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. All prints are 35mm.
Thursday, November 12, 7pm BOLIVIA Written and directed by Adrián Caetano. Argentina. 2001, 75 min. With Freddy Flores, Rosa Sánchez, Óscar Bertea, Enrique Liporace. "Packs a wallop" — V.A. Musetto, New York Post.
A starkly realistic story of an illegal immigrant from Bolivia who lands a job with a greasy spoon on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, poignantly depicts the world of poverty, racism and casual violence that characterize his newfound reality. Bolivia is an urgent and timely drama of life in Argentina, a nation that at the time of the film's release was immersed in a massive crisis reaching unprecedented poverty levels, vast unemployment, bankruptcy, and a dramatically shrinking economy. The second feature by Adrián Caetano, which was awarded the Young Critic's Award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, manages to be both powerful and understated.
Thursday, November 12, 9pm SILVIA PRIETO Written and directed by Martín Rejtman. Argentina, 1999. 92 min. With Rosario Bléfari, Valeria Bertucelli, Gabriel Fernández Capello, Mirtha Busnelli. "Rejtman reveals a mastery of his minimalist style." — The Los Angeles Times
A minimalist deadpan comedy involving drifting characters and objects, the film focuses on Silvia Prieto, a rather unexceptional young woman who on her 27th birthday resolves to make some changes in her life – changes that bring out a few eccentricities. When she discovers that there are other women with her name, she develops a bizarre obsession with the "other" Silvia Prieto, an obsession that has to do with unraveling the riddle of her own identity. Written and directed by Martín Rejtman, credited as the precursor of the New Argentine Cinema, Silvia Prieto was hailed by The Los Angeles Times as a "refreshingly venturesome film," and is a witty meditation on what it means, or doesn't mean, to be yourself.
Written and directed by Pablo Trapero. Argentina, 1999. 90 min.
With Luis Margani, Adriana Aizemberg, Daniel Valenzuela.
"Remarkable for the tenderness and tenacity it shares with its memorable protagonist." — Amy Taubin, Village Voice
A new variant on Neo-realism, Pablo Trapero's multiple award-winning feature debut paints a portrait of working class life that is simultaneously gritty and poetic. The film follows the changing fortunes in the life of Rulo, an unemployed suburban man, who tries to earn a living as a crane operator. Rulo is a likeable, pot-bellied 50 year-old who had a brief taste of success as a young rock musician. Now, with both an elderly mother and a musician son to support, Rulo plunges into a hazardous and arduous work of heavy metal construction. Directed with an unusual combination of aesthetic freshness and emotional soundness Trapero's first film became a key work in the current resurgence of Argentine cinema.
Saturday, November 14, 8:30pm
LA CIÉNAGA
Written and directed by Lucrecia Martel. Argentina, 2001, 102 min.
With Mercedes Morán, Graciela Borges, Martín Adjemián.
"Superb filmmaking." — J. Hoberman, Village Voice
February in Argentina's Northeast can be uncomfortably hot and humid. Bodies become sluggish and sticky... and tensions rise. Mecha is in her 50's and must deal with four accident-prone teenagers, a husband who dyes his hair and the tedious problem of sullen servants. Nothing that a few drinks can't cure. Tali is Mecha's cousin. She has four noisy small children and a husband who loves his house, loves his kids, and loves to hunt. Mecha and her family spend their summers at a country estate whose glory has long faded, and where the two families, reunited by an accident, will attempt to survive a summer from hell. With uncompromising talent, Martel's astonishing feature debut — which preceded the celebrated films The Holy Girl and The Headless Woman — brilliantly depicts the decadence of the Argentine middle-class through this family's story.
Cinema Tropical and BAMcinématek present ¡Go Uruguay!
October 16 - 18, 2009 BAM Rose Cinemas 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
One of the smallest countries in South America, Uruguay now boasts one of the finest young film scenes in Latin America. This is a rare opportunity to discover the revitalized cinema of Uruguay. Co-programmed by Carlos Gutierrez.
In the past few years Uruguay has developed a group of young filmmakers who have shed light on recent political and social changes in the country. Despite winning key prizes in the most renowned film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, AFI), many of the films by this young generation of Uruguayan directors have largely been off the radar. This series offers a rare opportunity for New York audiences to discover the revitalized cinema of Uruguay.
Uruguay continues to make its modest yet vigorous presence in Latin American cinema providing a stable location for local film production. Last year the country produced a record-breaking number of sixteen feature films. Uruguayan influences can also be seen in its neighboring Argentinean cinema within the work of director Israel Adrián Caetano, [(Pizza, Beer and Smokes (1998); Bolivia (2001); and Chronicle of an Escape (2006)], and the actor Daniel Hendler who is perhaps best known to international audiences for his work with director Daniel Burman (The Lost Embrace (2004), Family Law (2006)].
A key force in the revitalization of Uruguayan cinema has been producer/editor Fernando Epstein who, through his acclaimed production company Control Z Films (co-founded directors Pablo Stoll and the late Juan Pablo Rebella), has established creative and alternative modes of production—often in coproduction with other countries—fostering the development of local talent and artistic creation. Epstein will be in attendance during ¡Go Uruguay! program.
Supported, in part, by the Embassy of the United States in Montevideo, Uruguay. The series is made also possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Special thanks to Nahir Lois, Robert Zimmerman, Embassy of the United States of America in Montevideo, Uruguay; Consul General Adriana Lissidini, Karla Enseñat, Consulate General of Uruguay in New York; Martin Papich, Mariana Rizzo, Instituto de Cine y Audiovisual del Uruguay; Santhosh Daniel, Chris Wiggum, Global Film Initiative; Rebeca Conget, Cambria Matlow, Claire Weingarten, Film Movement; Clemence Taillandier, Zeitgeist Films; Sandro Fiorin, Alex Garcia, Cristina Garza, FiGa Films; Sergio Gándara, Patricia Méndez, Parox; Alan Shapiro.
All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. All prints are 35mm unless noted.
Friday, October 16, 7pm GIGANTE Directed by Adrián Biniez, Uruguay/Argentina, (2009), 85 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. New York Premiere. Pritn courtesy of Film Movement. With Horacio Camandule, Leonor Svarcas, Diego Artucio "Impeccable…[with] inherent charm." — The Hollywood Reporter
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize Silver Bear, the Alfred Bauer Prize and the Best First Feature Award at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival, Biniez's promising debut feature film Gigante tells the story of Jara, a shy and lonely 35-year-old security guard at a supermarket on the outskirts of Montevideo. He works the night shift, monitoring the surveillance cameras of the entire building. One night Jara discovers Julia, a 25-year-old cleaning woman, through one of the cameras and is immediately attracted to her. Night after night, he watches her on the cameras while she works. Soon he starts following her after work: to the cinema, the beach and even to a date with another man. Jara's life becomes a series of routines and rituals around Julia, but eventually he finds himself at a crossroad and must decide whether to give up his obsession or confront it. *A Q&A with director Adrián Biniez and producer Fernando Epstein will follow the 7pm screening.
Saturday, October 17, 4:30pm 25 WATTS Directed by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll, Uruguay, 2001, 94min. In Spanish with English subtitles With Daniel Hendler, Jorge Temponi, Alfonso Tort "Wins you over with its good nature ands its charm."— indieWIRE
A surprise hit at the 2001 Rotterdam Film Festival, 25 Watts marked the auspicious debut for the Uruguayan duo Pablo Stoll and the late Juan Pablo Rebella that consolidated Uruguay's participation in the recent revitalization of Latin American cinema and launched a prolific and exciting period for young Uruguayan directors. A wry, fresh, and funny Montevideo slacker comedy, 25 Watts portrays the monotonous lives of Leche, Javi, and Seba who wander around the neighborhood with nothing to do but drink beer, smoke, talk about girls, and interact with picturesque characters from the barrio. A Q&A with producer Fernando Epstein will follow the 4:30pm screening.
Saturday, October 17, 6:50pm LA PERRERA | THE DOG POUND Directed by Manuel Nieto Zas, Uruguay/Argentina/Spain/Canada, 2006, 108min. In Spanish with English subtitles. New York Premiere With Pablo Riera, Martín Adjemian, Sergio Gorfain "Humorous chronicle of a year of trouble and sexual misery, achieves an odd mixture of triviality in its apparent purpose, of stylistic elegance and radical pessimism." — Liberation
Desperate and unfortunate, lazy and hesitant, David, a 25-year-old, has failed as a student and lost the scholarship that financially supported him in the capital city. Now he must pass an exam that will take place in a year if he wants this grant to continue. In order prepare, David has come to live at La Pedrera, a small beach town where his father has given him the mission of building a house during the winter. This is the story of the construction as well as David's tragicomic fight to survive in a world where there are as many dogs as men and few women and where no one wants to work. Nieto Zas' debut feature film was named "Best Uruguayan Film of 2006" by the Association of Film Critics of Uruguay. A intro with producer Fernando Epstein will precede the 7pm screening.
At 9:15pm
El baño del Papa (The Pope's Toilet), (2007), 97min, Uruguay/France/Brazil, in Spanish with English subtitles
Directed by César Charlone, Enrique Fernández
With César Troncoso and Virginia Melo,
"Towers supreme!…alternately heartbreaking and hilarious."—The Village Voice
It's 1988, and Melo, an Uruguayan town on the Brazilian border, awaits the visit of Pope John Paul II. 50,000 people are expected to attend, and the most humble locals believe that selling food and drink to the multitude will make them rich. Petty smuggler Beto thinks he has the best idea of all –he decides to build a WC in front of his house and charge for its use. His efforts bring about unexpected consequences, and the final results will surprise everyone. El baño del Papa is a touching, humorous and poignant story from director-scriptwriters Enrique Fernández and noted cinematographer César Charlone who was Oscar-nominated for City of God.
Sunday, October 18, 4pm STRANDED: I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS | VENGO DE UN AVIÓN QUE CAYÓ EN LAS MONTAÑAS Directed by Gonzalo Arijón, France/Uruguay, 2008, 126 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. "Superb…a cinematic tour de force... One of the great tales of human survival... stranded… packs a knock-out punch."— Variety
It is one of the most astonishing and inspiring survival tales of all time. On October 13, 1972, a young rugby team from Montevideo, Uruguay, boarded a plane for a match in Chile—and then vanished into thin air. Two days before Christmas, 16 of the 45 passengers miraculously resurfaced. They had managed to survive for 72 days after their plane crashed on a remote Andean glacier. Thirty-five years later, the survivors return to the crash site—known as the Valley of Tears—to recount their harrowing story of defiant endurance and indestructible friendship. Previously documented in the 1973 worldwide bestseller Alive (and the 1993 Ethan Hawke movie of the same name), Stranded is a visually breathtaking and crafted film that includes riveting detail by documentary filmmaker (and childhood friend of the survivors) Gonzalo Arijón with a masterful combination of on-location interviews, archival footage, and reenactments.
Sunday, October 18, 6:15pm WHISKY Directed by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll Uruguay/Argentina/Germany/Spain, 2004, 94min. In Spanish with English subtitles. With Andrés Pazos, Mirella Pascual, Jorge Bolani "Delicious. A slightly absurd comedy about intimacy and solitude. Funny and gently narrated, Whisky marveled the audience with the confidence of its melancholic humor." — The Los Angeles Times
Jacobo is the dull and gravely serious owner of a sock factory. Every day, he follows the same routine—he gets up, drives to the factory, and meets his manager Marta, a frumpy, quiet, middle-aged worker who is loyal to the factory and her boss. Their dull routine is broken by the impending arrival of Jacobo's younger brother, Herman, who lives in Brazil. Jacob then allows himself to ask Marta for help to cope with the situation. Hence, between absurdity and melancholy, as well as daily life and farce, the movie subtly portrays the clumsiness of these characters, so different from one another, while they try to hide their resentment and friction. Whisky—Rebella and Stoll's remarkable follow-up feature to 25 Watts which screens at BAM on Saturday—was awarded with numerous prizes including the International Critics' Award at Cannes Film Festival. Whisky is presented with the Global Film Initiative.
Sunday, October 18, 9:15pm MATAR A TODOS | KILL THEM ALL Directed by Esteban Schroeder Uruguay/Argentina/Chile, 2007, 97min. In Spanish with English subtitles. With Roxanna Blanco, Claudio Arreondo, Jorge Bolani "Roxana Blanco gives a robust performance" — The New York Post
When democracy starts to spread across a weakened Latin American dictatorship, a man flees through the forest of a Uruguayan seaside resort. He is from Chile and hides at a police station of the town. He desperately announces that he has been kidnapped, that someone wanted to kill him. The charges reach Judge Santacruz, who asks his assistant, lawyer Julia Gudari, to help with the investigation. She finds that the police have tried to erase all traces of the case and that the Embassy of Chile is no help either. Julia also discovers that this Chilean citizen is a biochemical engineer who worked secretly for Pinochet. As Matar a todos continues, a dark story begins to unravel which involves her directly—both her father, General Gudari, and her brother, Ivan, are part of the alliance and will do everything they can to keep Julia away from the truth.
In the past decade, Latin America has witnessed the emergence of a new generation of democratically-elected left-wing leaders who in most cases have already made history just by winning the presidential elections of their countries. Moreover, and by breaking up with local political inertias, these leaders have helped establish a new political landscape throughout the region. Seen from afar, this political phenomenon appears to have given rise to a homogenous and consistent regional block, however most of these leaders have emerged from the diverse and some times conflicting traditions of the Left in Latin America and from disparate local contexts.
Cinema Tropical has created ¡Revolución! The New Latin American Left an original film series presenting seven documentary films about most of these leaders -nearly all of which made during their electoral campaigns. The aim is to open a constructive and engaging dialogue about the similarities, differences, challenges, and risks of the variegated expressions of the contemporary Left in Latin America, while discussing the immediate and long-term future of the region.
Programmed by Carlos A. Gutiérrez and organized in collaboration with Alejandra Leal.
VENEZUELA:
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
| A film by Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain| Ireland, 2007, 74 min. In Spanish with English subtitles
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a powerful and dramatic film about the charismatic and controversial Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez. It charts the seven-months run-up to the dramatic attempt to overthrow him in April 2002 and provides an eyewitness account of the coup d'etat and the extraordinary return to power of Chávez some 48 hours later. Unique footage of Chávez, a divisive and polarizing political icon, is assembled in this stirring documentary.
BRAZIL:
ENTREATOS | INTERMISSIONS
| A film by João Moreira Salles | Brazil, 2006, 117 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Entreatos follows Brazilian candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the last leg of his fourth presidential bid in 2002 with unanticipated insight into the behind-the-scenes of this man's life, his family and his campaign. Entreatos shows us a sophisticated political polyglot, documenting his increasing moderation in order to appeal to a wider part of the electorate, and thus also revealing some the Brazilian political and social backgrounds that made him win the election.
ARGENTINA:
YO PRESIDENTE
| A film by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat | Argentina, 2006, 75 min. In Spanish with English subtitles
An unapologetic and unflinching historical summary of Argentina's recent political past presented through direct interviews with practically all Argentinean presidents since the country's return to democracy in 1983. Starring Carlos Menem, Fernando de la Rúa and Eduardo Duhalde, among others, Yo Presidente offers a sardonic, and at times hopeless, perspective of those in charge.
CHILE:
LA HIJA DEL GENERAL | THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER
| Afilm by María Elena Wood| Chile/Spain, 2006, 59 min. In Spanish with English subtitles
In 2006 Michelle Bachelet made history by becoming Chile's first woman president, despite being a socialist, single mother and agnostic in arguably one of South America's most conservative nations. Filmmaker María Elena Wood spent one year following Bachelet as she traveled through Chile on the campaign trail. Through the letters written by her late father, a general in the Chilean Air Force imprisoned after Pinochet seized power in 1973, we learn the trajectory of a middle-class Chilean family profoundly marked by the collapse of democracy. The General's Daughter tells the story of Michelle Bachelet's life, her surprising journey along the road to the presidency and documents a series of experiences that are emblematic to Chile's recent history.
BOLIVIA:
COCALERO
| A film by Alejandro Landes | Argentina/Bolivia, 2007, 94 min. In Quechua and Spanish with English subtitles
Born out of the US War on Drugs, an Aymara indian named Evo Morales ‚ backed by a troop of coca leaf farmers ‚ travels through Andes and Amazon in jeans and sneakers, leading a historic bid to become Boliviaís first indigenous president. Traveling alongside Morales and the Movement to Socialism party (MAS) as they campaign through remote mining towns and far-away peasant villages, Cocalero reveals scenery as diverse and fractured as the countryís people, painting a vivid picture of a political phenomenon while raising an open historical question.
MEXICO:
FRAUDE: MEXICO 2006
| A film by Luis Mandoki | Mexico, 2007, 117 min. In Spanish with English subtitles
A controversial documentary feature film from acclaimed director Luis Mandoki, Fraude, MÈxico 2006 follows the most recent presidential election in Mexico, which polarized the country and has continued to haunt the local political landscape. The film recapitulates ‚using in some instances footage from ordinary citizensómany of the irregularities, inconsistencies and misdeeds before, during and after this very contested election that ultimately raised issues about its validity and fairness.
SPECIAL EDITION: BRASIL SUMMERFEST Tuesday and Wednesday, July 23 & 24
Following record attendance numbers and critical praise for their second installment last summer, NYC’s premiere Brazilian music and arts festival BRASIL SUMMERFEST, returns July 20-27, 2013 to treat fans to a sampling of some of Brazil’s most dynamic music artists, demonstrating the richness and diversity of the country’s contemporary music scene. The weeklong festival will showcase a diverse array of styles from the traditional rhythms of samba, forro and bossanova to emerging contemporary scenes such as tecnobrega, Brazilian hip hop, indie, among others.For the 2013 Edition BRASIL SUMMERFEST will team up with Cinema Tropical’s popular Janeiro in New York / Music+Film Series to present three documentaries that show the varied styles and subjects of Brazilian music and its affect on the culture.
Tthe series is divided into two evenings that each represent completely different genres of Brazilian music: Brega (translated as cheesy) is the subject of the first evening’s two films. Vou Rifar Meu Coracão tells the story of this popular sentimental style of song through its composers, singers and loyal audience. The second film of the evening is Waldick, Sempre no Meu Coração, a documentary about Waldick Soriano, a laborer form the North East who becomes a star of this genre in the ‘60s.
The second evening’s film, Jorge Mautner / O Filho do Holocausto, portrays the opposite side of the coin of Brazilian music. Its subject is the intellectual artist/writer Jorge Mautner, whose worked is credited as shaping the Brazilian counter-culture in the 70’s and influencing the emergence of Tropicália.
Programmed by Béco Dranoff and Mary Jane Marcasiano.
FREE ADMISSION / All films in Portuguese with English subtitles
All screenings at:
Jazz Performance Space at New School University 55 West 13th Street, 5th Floor
Brasil Summerfestis a new music and arts festival launched in July 2011. The festival aims to showcase the richness and diversity of Brazil’s music scene with a special focus on contemporary artists. This includes traditional styles of samba, forro, bossanova, maracatu as well as new emerging ones such as novo-tropicalia, manguebeat, hip hop, indie and baile-funk. This weeklong festival was founded and curated by Petrit Pula, the GM of Nublu, the club and record label outpost in the East Village and co-curated by Erika Elliott, the Artistic Director at Central Park Summerstage and music producer Beco Dranoff. Each year, the festival presents a series of events in New York City in the month of July at high profile venues in including Central Park Summerstage, City Winery, Nublu, MoMA, Drom and S.O.B.s.
Tuesday, July 23, 7:15pm WALDICK, SEMPRE NO MEU CORAÇÃO Directed by Patricia Pillar | Brazil, 2007, 58 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Directed by actress Patrícia Pillar, Waldick, sempre no meu coração tells the story of the amazing career trajectory of Brega star Waldick Soriano, whose own life story reflects this popular genre of his music. Soriano was born in Bahia, where he lived and worked as a truck driver, prospector and manual laborer until he was 25. After moving to São Paulo in 1959, his first album was issued in 1960 and his style of dramatic, sentimental songs made him a star in Brazil.
Tuesday, July 23, 8:45pm VOU RIFAR MEU CORAÇÃO | I'll RAFFLE OFF MY HEART Directed by Ana Rieper | Brazil, 2011, 78 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
I’ll Raffle off my Heart uses Brazilian sentimental and erotic imaginary based on the works of the most important composers of popular romantic music, a genre known as brega (cheesy). These songs create a true chronicle of romantic practices and the themes of the songs are very closely connected to the romantic dramas and experiences of real people who talk about their lives in this film. In addition to these individuals that open their hearts and tell their stories, the documentary also presents the composers and singers Agnaldo Timoteo, Amado Batista, Lindomar Castilho, Nelson Ned and Rodrigo Mell, from the new generation of brega music.
Wednesday, July 24, 7:15pm JORGE MAUTNER, O FILHO DO HOLOCAUSTO | JORGE MAUTNER, SON OF THE HOLOCAUST Directed by Pedro Bial, Heitor D'Alincourt | Brazil, 2012, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Jorge Mautner - The Son of the Holocaust is not a documentary, it is an essay on the life of this artist who, in the 20th century, built the Brazilian culture of the 21st century. A visionary who foresaw and transformed into reality the exuberant future landscape of Brazilian music and culture, Mautner is better understood after this film which begins as a portrait of the artist as a young man and goes on to reveal the complexity of this life as a musician, poet, pop star and one of the most important philosophers of his generation.
PAST SEASONS
SPECIAL EDITION: VOICES FROM LATIN AMERICA
Presented in association with 92YTribeca
Cinema Tropical's "Music + Film Series" celebrates Carnegie Hall’s upcoming concert series Voices from Latin America with screenings of documentaries that honor the best of Latin American music and its rich diversity and legacy. The music and cultures of Brazil, Cuba, Mexico and Argentina will be represented through the work of iconic artists from each country.
Presented as part of Voices from Latin America (November 8 – December 11). This citywide festival, organized by Carnegie Hall, pays tribute to a region whose vibrant culture has influenced people around the world. With more than 60 events, the festival features music, dance, film, art, photography, and more. Voices from Latin America includes four weeks of events and exhibitions at Carnegie Hall and partner organizations throughout the city.
Thursday, November 15, 7pm HASTA EL ÚLTIMO TRAGO CORAZÓN | TILL THE LAST DROP MY LOVE Directed by Beto Gómez | Mexico, 2005, 100 min. In Spanish with English subtitles
A declaration of love to Mexico and its cultural roots through the women who gave their voices and essence to Mexican music. This endearing documentary features the legendary Chavela Vargas, along with Lila Downs, Astrid Hadad, Eugenia Leon, La Negra Graciana, Iraida Noriega and Chayito Valdéz, all of who share their intimacies, memories of their lives, their pain and feelings, and above all, their music. Co-presented with Mexico Now Festival.
Thursday, November 29, 7pm CAFÉ DE LOS MAESTROS Directed by Miguel Kohan | Argentina/Brazil, 2008, 90 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NEW YORK PREMIERE.
Award-winning composer Gustavo Santaollala (Babel, Brokeback Mountain) takes us on a journey into the heart of Argentina’s world famous tango, introducing veterans from the golden age of the ’40s and ’50s as they prepare for a memorable concert at Buenos Aires’ renowned Teatro Colón.
Thursday, December 6, 7pm & 9pm MUSIC ACCORDING TO TOM JOBIM Directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos | Brazil, 2011, 88 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Composer/performer Antonio Carlos “Tom” Jobim introduced Brazil and bossa nova to the world with “The Girl from Ipanema." He went on to write literally dozens of classic songs recorded by the international royalty of pop music. Legendary Brazilian director Nelson Pereira dos Santos has now created this loving, tuneful tribute to Jobim, featuring extraordinary renditions of Jobim standards by artists ranging from Judy Garland, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Chico Buarque and Lisa Ono. A veritable carnival of musical styles and approaches, all celebrating the unique artistry of Tom Jobim. — New York Film Festival.
Thursday, December 13, 7pm CALLE 54 Directed by Fernando Trueba | US, 2000, 105 min. In Spanish with English subtitles
From the director of Chico and Rita, Calle 54 is a 2000 documentary film about Latin jazz. With only minimal introductory voiceovers, the film consists of studio performances by a wide array of Latin Jazz musicians. Artists featured include Chucho Valdés, Bebo Valdés, Cachao, Eliane Elias, Gato Barbieri, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, Chano Domínguez, Jerry Gonzalez and Michel Camilo. The film takes its name from Sony Music Studios, where much of the film was shot, which was located on 54th Street in New York City.
Birds of Passage presents a lyrical journey through the everyday lives of two young Uruguayan songwriters. Ernesto Díaz and Yisela Sosa have moved to the capital, leaving behind their respective hometowns on the borders of Brazil and Argentina. After many years of composing songs that reflect their origins, both decide to explore new horizons and each seeks to fulfill the dream of recording a first album.
While Yisela struggles to reconcile the emerging possibilities of a career in Uruguay with her plans to move to Argentina, Ernesto confronts personal conflicts that threaten to sabotage his creative passion.
The film fuses the arts of documentary film and music, interweaving the songs and stories of these two young composers. With vérité cinematography and an unforgettable soundtrack, Birds of Passage explores the challenges of being a young artist and the art of searching, inside and outside of oneself.
Following the screening, Ernesto Díaz and Yisela Sosa will perform live in the cafe.
This program is made possible with the support of the Consulate General of Brazil in New York
SPECIAL EDITION: BRASIL SUMMERFEST Tuesday and Wednesday, July 23 & 24
Following record attendance numbers and critical praise for their second installment last summer, NYC’s premiere Brazilian music and arts festival BRASIL SUMMERFEST, returns July 20-27, 2013 to treat fans to a sampling of some of Brazil’s most dynamic music artists, demonstrating the richness and diversity of the country’s contemporary music scene. The weeklong festival will showcase a diverse array of styles from the traditional rhythms of samba, forro and bossanova to emerging contemporary scenes such as tecnobrega, Brazilian hip hop, indie, among others.For the 2013 Edition BRASIL SUMMERFEST will team up with Cinema Tropical’s popular Janeiro in New York / Music+Film Series to present three documentaries that show the varied styles and subjects of Brazilian music and its affect on the culture.
Tthe series is divided into two evenings that each represent completely different genres of Brazilian music: Brega (translated as cheesy) is the subject of the first evening’s two films. Vou Rifar Meu Coracão tells the story of this popular sentimental style of song through its composers, singers and loyal audience. The second film of the evening isWaldick, Sempre no Meu Coração, a documentary about Waldick Soriano, a laborer form the North East who becomes a star of this genre in the ‘60s.
The second evening’s film, Jorge Mautner / O Filho do Holocausto, portrays the opposite side of the coin of Brazilian music. Its subject is the intellectual artist/writer Jorge Mautner, whose worked is credited as shaping the Brazilian counter-culture in the 70’s and influencing the emergence of Tropicália.
Programmed by Béco Dranoff and Mary Jane Marcasiano.
FREE ADMISSION / All films in Portuguese with English subtitles
All screenings at:
Jazz Performance Space at New School University 55 West 13th Street, 5th Floor
Brasil Summerfestis a new music and arts festival launched in July 2011. The festival aims to showcase the richness and diversity of Brazil’s music scene with a special focus on contemporary artists. This includes traditional styles of samba, forro, bossanova, maracatu as well as new emerging ones such as novo-tropicalia, manguebeat, hip hop, indie and baile-funk. This weeklong festival was founded and curated by Petrit Pula, the GM of Nublu, the club and record label outpost in the East Village and co-curated by Erika Elliott, the Artistic Director at Central Park Summerstage and music producer Beco Dranoff. Each year, the festival presents a series of events in New York City in the month of July at high profile venues in including Central Park Summerstage, City Winery, Nublu, MoMA, Drom and S.O.B.s.
Tuesday, July 23, 7:15pm WALDICK, SEMPRE NO MEU CORAÇÃO Directed by Patricia Pillar | Brazil, 2007, 58 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Directed by actress Patrícia Pillar, Waldick, sempre no meu coração tells the story of the amazing career trajectory of Brega star Waldick Soriano, whose own life story reflects this popular genre of his music. Soriano was born in Bahia, where he lived and worked as a truck driver, prospector and manual laborer until he was 25. After moving to São Paulo in 1959, his first album was issued in 1960 and his style of dramatic, sentimental songs made him a star in Brazil.
Tuesday, July 23, 8:45pm VOU RIFAR MEU CORAÇÃO | I'll RAFFLE OFF MY HEART Directed by Ana Rieper | Brazil, 2011, 78 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
I’ll Raffle off my Heart uses Brazilian sentimental and erotic imaginary based on the works of the most important composers of popular romantic music, a genre known as brega (cheesy). These songs create a true chronicle of romantic practices and the themes of the songs are very closely connected to the romantic dramas and experiences of real people who talk about their lives in this film. In addition to these individuals that open their hearts and tell their stories, the documentary also presents the composers and singers Agnaldo Timoteo, Amado Batista, Lindomar Castilho, Nelson Ned and Rodrigo Mell, from the new generation of brega music.
Wednesday, July 24, 7:15pm JORGE MAUTNER, O FILHO DO HOLOCAUSTO | JORGE MAUTNER, SON OF THE HOLOCAUST Directed by Pedro Bial, Heitor D'Alincourt | Brazil, 2012, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Jorge Mautner - The Son of the Holocaust is not a documentary, it is an essay on the life of this artist who, in the 20th century, built the Brazilian culture of the 21st century. A visionary who foresaw and transformed into reality the exuberant future landscape of Brazilian music and culture, Mautner is better understood after this film which begins as a portrait of the artist as a young man and goes on to reveal the complexity of this life as a musician, poet, pop star and one of the most important philosophers of his generation.
Winter / Spring 2012
Cinema Tropical's "Janeiro in New York / Music + Film Series " was created in 2008 in collaboration with 92YTribeca. This popular series has built a cult following among those who love Brazilian music and culture. Over the years the series has highlighted and featured the classic artists and musical styles of Samba, Tropicália, MPB, Forró and Bossa Nova as well as contemporary genres like Baile Funk. Whether you already are a fan of Brazilian music or want to know more, this series is for you.
The Spring 2013 edition opens on March 22nd with As Canções (Songs), directed by the Brazilian documentary master Eduardo Coutinho. As canções / Songs focuses on the song itself and explores the personal relationship of eighteen Brazilians with their music.
Thursday, May 23, 7pm JARDS Directed by Eryk Rocha | Brazil, 2012, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The celebrated composer and musician Jards Macalé is in the recording studio where director Eryk Rocha captures him in a wide variety of poses and states of creating, imaginatively varying style and shooting formats. Fashioning an intimately attuned portrait of an artist, Rocha uses his camera as an instrument to riff with Jards in a poetic exchange between images and music. The repetitive, time-stopping process of rehearsal and the flow of energy between the two art forms create an elegiac vision of the creativity of some of Brazil’'s most beloved singers and musicians." - New Directors/New Films
Thursday, April 25, 7pm RAUL | RAUL, O INÍCIO, O FIM E O MEIO Directed by Walter Carvalho | Brazil, 2011, 125 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"While the world was astir with Easy Rider's motorcycles, the frenetic beat of Elvis Presley, the beatnik poets and the explosion of the counterculture, a boy form Bahia gave birth to Brazilian rock. Raul Seixas built a one-of-a-kind career and today is the artist with the most posthumous albums sold in Brazil. Through rare archival footage and meetings with family members, artists and producers, the film shows the trajectory of one of the greatest legends in Brazilian rock, who continues to mobilize fans even today, 22 years after his death." - Rio Film Festival
Friday, March 22, 7pm SONGS | AS CANÇÕES Directed by Eduardo Coutinho | Brazil, 2011, 92 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Comprised of 18 'sessions' (chosen from 42 total), this astonishingly simple, emotionally compelling documentary delves into the songs that hold meaning in people's lives. Director Coutinho reverses the traditional documentary practice of bringing the camera to the subject and instead invites the subjects to come to the camera. Sitting before a simple screen, the director engages his subjects in conversation about the song they picked, developing a rapport that allows for exceptionally involving, deeply personal stories about music and its intimate connection to memory, love, loss, self-discovery, regret, death, and life." - The Museum of Modern Art
Fall 2012
Thursday, October 18, 6:45pm COISA MAIS LINDA: Histórias e Casos da Bossa Nova Directed by Paulo Thiago | Brazil, 2005, 105min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"An informative, musical, historical panorama on the birth of the new Bossa. The musical movement reached its peak in 1962, when it was internationalized definitively at a Carnegie Hall concert. Featuring interviews with and exclusive footage of Robert Menescal, Carlos Lyra, João Donato, Alaíde Costa, Johnny Alf, Kay Lira, Leny Andrade, Chris Delano, Sergio Ricardo, Billy Blanco." - Singapore Brazilian Film Festival
Music follows screening in the 92YTribeca Café.
Thursday, September 20, 7pm TROPICÁLIA Directed by Marcel Machado | Brazil, 2012, 87min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Marcelo Machado’s epic documentary centers on the decisive, inspiring music of Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil but radiates beyond, showing the way the Brazilian musical genre crossed over with theater, cinema, poetry and politics, and embodied both intense social and spiritual idealism and rock-star-style hedonism and commercial ambition. An intoxicating blend of biography, performance and cultural history, Tropicália may finally connect Brazil’s fabulous musicians, who enjoy a worldwide following, with the American audience they’ve deserved." –Telluride Film Festival
Music by DJ Joel Stones from Tropicalia in Furs follows screening in the 92YTribeca Café.
Winter / Spring 2012
This popular series has built a cult following among those who love Brazilian music and culture. Whether you already are a fan of Brazil or want to be, this series is for you. The 2012 Edition kicks off with an appropriate film for February, the month of Carnival in Brazil, with a film whose subject is the famed Rio Samba School, Mangueira.
The Samba that Lives within Me (O Samba que Mora em Mim) (US Premiere) begins at the Mangueira Samba School court and goes into the community of Morro da Mangueira, in Rio de Janeiro. Director Georgia Guerra Peixe brings a personal report of samba and the history of the community in this autobiographical film. In March we switch from the green and pink of Mangueira to the blue and white of Portela and give equal billing to another of Rio's samba institutions with the US Premeire of Samba Beats (As Batidas do Samba).
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 7pm
FAVELA ON BLAST
Directed by Leandro HBL & Wesley Pentz |Brazil, 2008, 84 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
For over 20 years, a subculture has emerged in Brazil under society's radar. It is the culture surrounding 'funk carioca', a musical rhythm which mixes the American electronic funk of the 1980s with the most diverse influences of Brazilian music. 'Baile funk' is one of the most interesting musical movements in the world, emerging from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Directors Wesley Pentz (Diplo), teamed up with Leandro HBL in 2005 to tell the story of the MC’s, DJ’s, dancers and cultural producers who have spent their lives in the favela and are creating this vibrant scene. Together, they visited 60 favelas and conducted more than 100 interviews in order to explore the culture that surrounds Funk Carioca. In doing so, they have created a portrait of a subculture that defines the youth of Rio’s dismissed population.
Thursday, April 11, 2012 at 7pm
TEMPO REI
Directed by Lula Buarque de Hollanda, Andrucha Waddington and Breno Silveira | Brazil, 1996, 90 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Filmed in 1996, Tempo Rei celebrates 30 years of Gilberto Gil's career. In this personal film, Gil looks back on his artistic trajectory, sharing memories and personal stories. Tempo Rei was filmed in Rio De Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Ituaçu. It includes scenes of shows and musical meetings with special guests Filhos de Ghandi, Gil's family, Stevie Wonder (who interprets "Desafinado"), Caetano Veloso and Carlinhos Brown, among others. It includes the great successes of Gilberto Gil, such as "Madalena," "Cores Vivas," "Vamos Fugir," "Procissão" and "Expresso 2222.
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 7pm
SAMBA BEATS | AS BATIDAS DE SAMBA
Directed by Bebeto Abrantes |Brazil, 2010, 82 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. US PREMIERE
"The documentary Samba Beats (As Batidas do Samba) explores the evolution of the Rio samba beat since the beginning of the Twentieth Century. The film chronicles the introduction of percussive instruments and their transformation, which lead to the distinctive samba rhythm of Rio de Janeiro. With rare exceptions, the musicians, composers and percussionists of the samba world are intuitive talents without formal musical training, making the record of this memory even more important. With the participation of samba maestros Marçalzinho, Monarco and Wilson das Neves. - It's All True International Documentary Festival
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 7pm THE SAMBA THAT LIVES WITHIN ME | O SAMBA QUE MORA EM MIM Directed by Georgia Guerra Peixe |Brazil, 2010, 72 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. US PREMIERE
"Winner of Special Jury Award in the 34th International Film Festival in São Paulo, The Samba that Lives Within Me begins at the Mangueira Samba School court and goes into the community of Morro da Mangueira, in Rio de Janeiro. Director Georgia Guerra Peixe brings a personal report of samba and the history of the community in this autobiographical film." - São Paulo International Film Festival
Fall 2011 Season: September through May
Since 2009, this popular Brazilian music documentary series has exposed New York audiences to feature films whose subjects are the luminaries of the Brazilian music world past and present; Vinicius de Moraes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Simonal, Lenine, Tom Zé, Paulinho da Viola, Nana Cayammi, Dzi Croquettes, Martinho da Vila, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Otros Bárbaros, Arnoldo Baptista, Velha Guarda de Portela, and Humberto Teixeira. In addition to portraits of single artists some of the films diverse subjects have been historical moments like the TV festivals of 1967, the language of poetry in Brazilian music and the global influence of Brazilian music.
The Fall 2011 series continues to explore important Brazilian musicians with portraits of two great samba stars. Elza (Izabel Jaguaribe and Ernesto Baldan), an in depth look at Elza Soares, one of Brazil's original samba superstars and É Candeia (Márcia Watzl) about the short life of the Afro-Brazilian artist Candeia, whose struggle for black empowerment crosses through generations.
The 60's and 70's in Brazil are examined in two different documentaries on the period. Samba's Evening (Cély Leal) chronicles the famous musical/political "Samba Evenings" at Teatro Opinião in Rio de Janeiro during Brazil's military dictatorship. The Sons of João, the Admirable New Baiano World (Henrique Dantas) shows the influence of João Gilberto on the the revolutionary musical group Novos Baianos and explores the issues of the time such as counterculture, film, Tropicália and military dictatorship.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 7pm É CANDEIA Directed by Márcia Watzl | Brazil, 2010, 79 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Composer Candeia passed away in 1978. He was only 43. Candeia left important works in samba, partido alto, jongo and samba-enredo. Representative of afro-brazilian tradition, he wrote sophisticated melodies and refined lyrics. His struggle for black empowerment crosses through generations. In 2008, the awarded musical É Samba na veia, É Candeia was a tribute to his life and work. Through rehearsals and shows, the documentary Candeia underscores the composer's music and career, as well as his influence on the actors." - Rio International Film Festival
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7pm THE SONS OF JOÃO, THE ADMIRABLE NEW BAIANO WORLD | FILHOS DE JOÃO, ADMIRÁVEL MUNDO NOVO Directed by Henrique Dantas | Brazil, 2009, 75 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
A look at the Brazilian popular music scene in the 60s and 70s through the revolutionary musical group Novos Baianos. The film shows the influence of João Gilberto on the group's musical direction and prospects the community lifestyle adopted by them, among issues experienced by the group, such as counterculture, film, Tropicália and military dictatorship. The documentary includes rare and unpublished files and testimonials from Tom Zé, Rogério Duarte, Orlando Senna, Moraes Moreira and Pepeu Gomes.
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7pm SAMBA'S EVENING | NOITADA DE SAMBA FOCO DE RESISTÊNCIA Directed by Cély Leal | Brazil, 2010, 75 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Official website "In 1971, under Brazil's military dictatorship, Jorge Coutinho and Leonides Bayer began holding weekly "Samba Evenings" at Teatro Opinião in Rio de Janeiro, importing popular musicians from the suburbs to entertain Rio's elite. Radical in both concept and execution, the series transformed the theater into a symbol of political and cultural resistance over its 617 performances in 13 years.Samba's Evening recounts this history through music, rare footage, and interviews with Alcione, Beth Carvalho, D. Yvone Lara, Eliana Pittman, Elton Medeiros, Gilberto Braga, Martinho da Vila, Maurício Sherman, and others whose stories powerfully evoke the period. - The Museum of Modern Art
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7pm ELZA Directed by Izabel Jaguaribe and Ernesto Baldan |Brazil, 2009, 72 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"A remarkable singer and show woman, Soares was known for uniting traditional samba sounds with modern touches that lent her songs a multi-generational appeal.Elzaexplores the diversity of her repertoire and presents a series of encounters with renowned Brazilian artists such as Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben Jor, Paulinho da Viola and Maria Bethânia." - Brazilian Festival of Miami
Winter-Spring 2011 Season: January through May
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 7pm PAULINHO DA VIOLA, MY TIME IS NOW Directed by Izabel Jaguaribe | Brazil, 2003, 83 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The gentle Paulinho Da Viola is one of the most loved and respected Brazilian samba composers, players and singers. He is known for his acoustic style and purity of sound and admired as a revivalist of the instrumental choro style. Belonging to the same generation of the rock-oriented tropicalistas and the post bossa nova crowd, Viola delves into the style of the traditional samba song and the sambas de morro, sung by the urban poor of Brazil's slums. The film abounds in performances, interviews with Viola's teachers and friends and wonderful jam sessions involving musical peers such as Marina Lima, Elton Medeiros, Zeca Pagodinho, Marisa Monte and Velha Guarda da Portela, to name a few." —Toronto International Latin Film Festival
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 7pm
VINICIUS Directed by Miguel Faria, Jr. | Brazil, 2005, 121 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Our ongoing series on Brazilian music would not be complete with out a documentary on Brazilian poet, playwright, critic, diplomat, composer, singer and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980). "Vinicius", directed by Miguel Faria Jr., is a cinematic portrait of the internationally famous lyricist of the Bossa Nova classics "Garota de Ipanema" and "Insensatez" and writer of the play on which the film Black Orpheus (1959) was based. His life story and musical history is told through archival images combined with interviews with members of his family, friends, partners and new musical numbers with famous Brazilian singers.
Special guest: Andy Summers
Pictured (left to right): Musician Andy Summers, Cinema Tropical's Mary Jane Marcasiano and photographer Ralph Gibson.
Wednesday, February 23 at 7pm RIO SONATA Directed by Georges Gachot | Brazil, 2010, 84 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. US Premiere
Official website
"Singer Nana Caymmi is Brazilian music royalty. She is the daughter of Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil's ex-wife, Milton Nascimento's muse and a childhood friend of Nelson Freire. Rio Sonata explores her body of work and her role in the history of Brazilian music in the last 50 years. It is also a love story to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Nana's hometown, with lush imagery and inspired music . An intimate glimpse into an artist's relationship to her muse and her music. With the participation of Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Maria Bethânia, Joao Donato, Mart'nalia, Erasmo Carlos,Sueli Costa, Miùcha, Dorival Caymmi, Dori Caymmi." - São Paulo International Film Festival.
Cinema Tropical Afterparty follows screening with singer/song-writer, percussionist, and Bahia native Nanny Assis.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 7pm DZI CROQUETTES Directed by Raphael Alvarez and Tatiana Issa | Brazil, 2009, 110 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Dzi Croquettes, an infamous Brazilian dance-theater group at the heart of the 1960s Tropicália cultural movement, used imagination, irony, and humor to confront Brazil's violent dictatorship—and in the process revolutionized the nation's gay rights movement and changed the language of theater and dance for a generation. With Norma Bengell, César Camargo Mariano, Pedro Cardoso, Liza Minnell." - The Museum of Modern Art
Q&A with filmmakers.
Fall 2010 Season: September, October & November
Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 7pm LENINE IN CONTINUATION | LENINE EM CONTINUAÇÃO Directed by ígor Iglesias González | Spain, 2009, 90 min. In Spanish and Portuguese with English subtitles
"While working on a new album, Brazilian composer Lenine calls upon his earliest experiences with music to navigate the uncertainty brought to his work in the era of downloads (and vinyl). Lenine in Continuation documents perspectives, encounters, creation and how technology serves a passion for art. Lenine was born in 1958 and in the '90s, almost 10 years into his career, became one of the greatest names in Brazilian music. Despite his late success, he has since garnered outstanding reviews, awards and fans with each new album. The film offers an intense reflection on the impact of new technology on musical creation in the midst of the decline of the CD, the reemergence of vinyl and the explosion of the internet." — Rio International Film Festival.
Screening introduced by Brazilian journalist Eduardo Graça
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 7pm
A NIGHT IN 67 | UMA NOITE EM 67 Directed by Renato Guerra and Ricardo Calil | Brazil, 2009, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The end of the III Festival of Popular Brazilian Music on TV Record on Oct 21, 1967, promised to be memorable. In the running for the main awards were Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil with Os Mutantes, Roberto Carlos, Edu Lobo and Sergio Ricardo—who famously broke his guitar on stage after boos for "Beto Bom de Bola." Restoring footage of performances of songs like "Roda Viva," "Alegria Alegria" and "Domingo no Parque," the film registers the explosion of Tropicalism, the radicalization of artistic and political fractures in the middle of the military dictatorship and the consecration of names that are idols to this day in the Brazilian music scene. This film is an insight of an effervescent time and the quality of the generation that led it." — It's All True Film Festival.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 7pm THE PETIT BOURGEOIS - A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE | O PEQUENO BURGUÊS - FILOSOFIA DE VIDA Directed by Edu Mansur | Brazil, 2008, 70 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Martinho da Vila was born in 1938 in rural Rio de Janeiro, on a farm by a town called Duas Barras and spent his childhood in an extremely poor favela in the state capital. He broke album-sale records with his first recordings and to a public used to listening to boleros and covers of foreign songs, he fast became the people's choice. Martinho influenced other composers with his composition style and developed 'samba-enredo', which up until then had been closer to 'samba-exaltação' (exalting). The farm where he was born has been turned into the Martinho da Vila Institute, offering free education to children from Duas Barras and serves as a backdrop for the film." —São Paulo International Film Festival.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 7pm TOM ZÉ: LIBERATED ASTRONAUT | TOM ZÉ: ASTRONAUTA LIBERTADO Directed by ígor Iglesias González | Spain, 2009, 90 min. In Spanish and Portuguese with English subtitles
"Using the Musical Experimentation Workshop organized by Brazilian musician Tom Zé in Asturias, Spain, as its starting point, the film presents a retrospective of his musical discoveries and his continuing development of musical experimentation in the '70s. By piecing together historical archives and showing his performances on stages all around Brazil and Europe as well time spent in the recording studio, the film sheds light on this artist's original creative methodology." —São Paulo International Film Festival.
Co-Presented with Luaka Bop to celebrate the dual release of the Studies of Tom Zé Box and Estudando a Bossa. Afterparty at 92YTribeca Café with DJ Sean Marquand from Phenominal Handclap Band.
Summer 2010 Season: June, July & August
In 2009 Cinema Tropical teamed up with 92YTribeca to create the Music + Film Series: Janeiro In New York. Showing important documentaries on major Brazilian music stars Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Simonal, Marisa Monte, Humberto Teixeira , the series, along with live music in the 92YTribeca Café, has built a cult status among those who love Brazilian music.
The Summer 2010 edition of Cinema Tropical'sMusic + Film: Janeiro In New York series promises to be equally exciting with a fun look back at four groundbreaking musicians who emerged from Bahia in the 1960s: Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil.
The series will present three feature documentary films made by acclaimed director Andrucha Waddington,all of which are essential viewing for any fan of Brazilian music. Short video clips on the four artists will accompany each program, along with special guests to introduce the films and live performances in the cafe after the screenings.
The first film of the series, Outros (Doces) Bárbaros takes its inspiration from a 1976 performance in São Paolo, when Veloso, Bethânia, Gal and Gil came together to create the MPB super group Os Doces Bárbaros. The film documents the group's historical re-banding in 2002.
Also by Waddington and produced by his pioneering company Conspiraçâo Filmes are Maria Bethânia - Pedrinha de Aruanda / Touchstone from Aruanda, a personal glimpse of Bethania at 60 and Viva São João! a journey into the music of the North East of Brazil led by Gilberto Gil.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 7pm OUTROS (DOCES) BÁRBAROS Directed by Andrucha Waddington | Brazil, 2002, 75 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
In 1976 the Brazilian MPB super group Os Doces Bárbaros was formed when the four artists (all originally from Bahia) Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil came together for a show in Sao Paulo that was the subject of the 1977 documentary by the same name. Almost 30 years later, in December 2002, the artists reunited for shows in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and director Andrucha Waddington was there to document the group's live performances, rehearsals and interviews.
Special guest DJ Greg Caz will introduce the film, and spin music from Os Doces Bárbaros era in the 92YTribeca Café after the screening.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 7pm VIVA SÃO JOÃO! Directed by Andrucha Waddington | Brazil, 2002, 82 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"In Andrucha Waddington's film, singer, composer and Grammy award-winner Gilberto Gil has taken on the role of tour guide. Using commentary, interviews and songs he introduces the viewer to the traditional St John's Day music festival held each June in Brazil. Through reminiscences and eye-witness testimonies, the mythical figure of Luiz Gonzaga runs through this fascinating documentary. Gonzaga was a revolutionary musician who achieved a privileged position on the Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo music scenes in the 1940s. Thanks to Gonzaga, the rather neglected north-eastern section of the country became popular centre of Brazilian folklore. Captivating musical interludes link the crystal clear images of Waddington's film, a work which illustrates the joyous and innocent mysticism of the dazzling festival." - Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 7pm MARIA BETHÂNIA, PEDRINHA DE ARUANDA | MARIA BETHÂNIA, TOUCHSTONE FROM ARUANDA Directed by Andrucha Waddington | Brazil, 2007, 61 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"To celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso's sister, Salvador de Bahia decreed four days of festivities that culminated in a spectacular concert. This film is considered one of the most authentic documents on film about the life and art of the great female singer."– Rome Film Festival. Preceded by CAETANO VELOSO E GILBERTO GIL - HAITI (video clip directed by Claudio Torres and Lula Buarque de Hollanda, 1993).
Winter/Spring 2010 Season: January - April
Based on the popular acclaim of the Cinema Tropical's Music + Film Series, Cinema Tropical and 92YTribeca continue their ongoing tribute to the diversity and influence of Brazilian music, presenting New York audiences to a variety of different themes in Brazilian music and culture through cinema.
The new season of the Cinema Tropical Music+Film Series: Janeiro in New York presents four thrilling feature documentaries presenting different takes on various music genres and musicians. From the celebrated and lively samba to the tragic life of the great Afro-Brazilian star Simonal, this film series continues to explore the richness of the music from the South American country.
Simonal - No One Knows How Tough it Was directed by Claudio Manoel, Micael Langer and Calvito Leal tells the political and personal story of the fall from grace of one of Brazil's biggest stars during the dictatorship era and Paulo Henrique Fontenelle's film Loki -Arnaldo Baptista "focuses on another notorious musician of the 60's, the leader of the world famous band " Os Mutantes."
Helena Solberg's film The Enchanted Word is a reflection on how popular music is an unexpected vehicle for poetry and literature in Brazil, a country with a strong oral tradition while The Mystery of Samba directed by Carolina Jabor and Lula Buarque de Hollanda pays homage to the "Velha Guarda" founding members of Portela, one of Rio's most famous samba schools.
Celebrating the best of Brazilian music these four films feature musical appearances from Marisa Monte, Paulinho da Viola, Zeca Pagodinho, Tom Zé, Gilberto Gil, Adriana Calcanhotto, Arnaldo Antunes, Chico Buarque, Lenine, Maria Bethânia, Martinho da Vila and in addition the series will present live music performances by Brazilian artists, following the screenings.
Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 7pm MYSTERY OF SAMBA | O MISTÉRIO DO SAMBA Directed by Carolina Jabor and Lula Buarque de Hollanda | Brazil, 2008, 85 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The Mystery of Samba captures the rich lives—and astonishing vivacity—of a group of veteran musicians and composers from one of Rio's most revered samba schools, Portela.
The magic of the birthplace of these singers and poets, a quaint neighborhood in Rio's North Zone, is brought to vivid life with guest appearances by samba luminaries Marisa Monte, Paulinho da Viola, and Zeca Pagodinho." - The Museum of Modern Art.
[Trailer]
Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 7pm SIMONAL - NO ONE KNOWS HOW TOUGH IT WAS | SIMONAL - NINGUÉM SABE O DURO QUE DEI Directed by Claudio Manoel, Micael Langer, Calvito Leal | Brazil, 2008, 86 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"In an age when the talented were both revolutionary and eternal, Wilson Simonal shone like no other and innovated like few. With his charisma, kindness, swing, charm, sex appeal, and a lot of talent, he was the most successful star in Brazil and even made fans abroad. All of a sudden it was all over. Gossip, accusations, mysteries, patrols and pursuits; whatever happened to Wilson Simonal? Simonal – No One Knows How Hard It Was, portrays the impressive trajectory of a former army private that reigned sovereign in pop culture to end up ostracized for a crime of which he swore innocence." - Rio International Film Festival.
Screening introduced by journalist Scott Mitchem, who writes on design, architecture, travel and all things Rio de Janeiro & Brazil for Wallpaper* Magazine. Brazilian rhythms by DJ Greg Caz follow screening at 92YTribeca Café. Afterparty presented in association with alexadances presents.
Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 7pm THE ENCHANTED WORD | PALAVRA (EN)CANTADA Directed by Helena Solberg | Brazil, 2009, 84 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Popular music is an unexpected vehicle for poetry and literature in Brazil, a country with a strong oral tradition. Helena Solberg's new film is a reflection on how these art forms interpenetrate one another. The Enchanted Word is woven from performances and interviews with singers, songwriters, and poets. Among the artists who sing and talk and perform for the camera are Adriana Calcanhotto, Arnaldo Antunes, Chico Buarque, Lirinha, Lenine, Maria Bethânia, Martinho da Vila, and Tom Zé. The film also includes rare archival images and a rich sound track." - The Museum of Modern Art
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 7pm LOKI: ARNALDO BAPTISTA Directed by Paulo Henrique Fontenelle | Brazil, 2008, 120 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Cinebiography of the notorious musician Arnaldo Baptista, former lead singer of the band Mutantes. The artist portrays his life in painting, while remarkable archive footage illustrates the career of this great Brazilian rock star. Interviews with Tom Zé, Nelson Motta, Gilberto Gil, Sean Lennon and others." - Rio International Film Festival
Following on the success of the summer edition of Cinema Tropical's Music + Film Series, the program continues through the fall with a special edition dedicated to celebrate the best of Brazilian music. In the past few years, numerous filmmakers have turned the camera to follow and record the great tradition of Brazilian music producing various documentary feature films celebrating the diversity, vitality and influence of Brazilian music worldwide.
One of current theme that emerges in these three films selected for the series, is the important role that New York has played in Brazilian music. This bond is revealed in the intimate relationship that some musicians from the South American country have developed with city, as well as the ongoing musical exchange between New York and Brazil.
Combined together, the three films take us from the early years of Brazilian music in Hollywood in the 40's through the days of Bossa Nova, Tropicaliá and MPB and bring us right into the current "sampling " scene in New York and Brazil. Along the way we experience all the great classic songs and important artists of Brazilian music and meet with international artists like Pedro Almodóvar, David Byrne and Michelangelo Antonioni, who like so many have been influenced by the ongoing Brazilian music wave. In addition to the three acclaimed feature documentary films, the series will present live music performances by Brazilian artists, following the screenings.
Thursday, December 1, 2009 at 7pm BEYOND IPANEMA: BRAZILIAN WAVES IN GLOBAL MUSIC | ONDAS BRASILEIRAS NA MUSICA GLOBAL Directed by Guto Barra and Béco Dranoff | Brazil/USA, 2009, 89 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"For decades Brazilian music has captivated audiences worldwide. What makes Brazilian music such a powerful force? Why does bossa nova still lure DJs and producers fifty years after it was created? Why does the Tropicália movement resonate so deeply with the alternative-rock crowd? Beyond Ipanema explores the Brazilian music experience outside of Brazil, accompanied by a specially curated soundtrack featuring Brazilian classics reinterpreted by a new generation of artists." – The Museum of Modern Art.
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 7pm THE HOUSE OF TOM - MUNDO, MONDE MONDO | A CASA DE TOM Directed by Ana Jobim | Brazil, 2008, 58 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
The House of Tom - Mundo, Monde, Mondo is a highly personal documentary chronicling the life of Brazilian maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim from the late 70s to the time around his untimely passing in 1994. Produced and directed by his widow and photographer Ana Jobim, the film features never before released images and interviews spanning 15 years of his day-to-day life in his three favorite places in the world: New York City, Rio de Janeiro and his country house in Brazil.
This delicate documentary offers a very intimate view of the eminent musician, his family as well as charming encounters with his friends.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 7pm WANDERING HEART | CORAÇÁO VAGABUNDO Directed by Fernando Grostein Andrade | Brazil, 2008, 100 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
What was simply supposed to be just another tour for the release of a new record became a tough series of challenges for famed singer Caetano Veloso. This endearing documentary intimately follows Caetano from São Paulo to New York City to Japan, during the release of A Foreign Sound, his first album recorded solely in English. It takes considerably more than a week-long series of shows at Carnegie Hall, accolades in The New York Times, or the admiration of friends like Pedro Almodóvar, David Byrne and Michelangelo Antonioni, to make Caetano feel comfortable outside of Brazil. Wandering Heart is an enjoyable journey in search of answers to a series of questions that reveal Caetano in unprecedented intimacy.
Friday, June 19, 2009 at 7:30pm THE MAN WHO BOTTLED CLOUDS | O HOMEM QUE ENGARRAFAVA NUVENS Directed by Lírio Ferreira | Brazil, 2008, 105 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
A fascinating documentary about the multi-talented musician Humberto Teixeira who revolutionized the course of Brazilian popular music when he introduced the northeastern rhythms of Baião to the entire country in the 1940s. This feature film by acclaimed director Lirio Ferreira embarks on a search for Teixera and on its way reveals the intimate relationship that exists between music and national identity in this South American country.
Q&A with producer Denise Dummont following the screening.
2008 Season
In an unprecedented celebration of Brazil's internationally nascent cinema scene, Cinema Tropical presents Janeiro in New York, a mini-festival featuring the theatrical releases of highly acclaimed films during January and February, 2008.
Film production in Brazil has jumped to over 60 feature films a year, and directors from this South American country are of late receiving a new level of acclaim on the international film festival circuit. Recent productions such as Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite) -which is directed by José Padilla and is to be released in the U.S. in the first semester of this year by the Weinstein Company-not only have become box office sensations in Brazil, but also are reaching a broader, international audience.
One of the key figures in the revitalization of Brazilian cinema is the filmmaker Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener), who is co-producer of two of the three films comprising Janeiro in New York. Like Walter Salles (Motorcycle Diaries), he is known for supporting his country's most promising projects, particulary those of young filmmakers.
Salles, also a producer of City of God, was one of the producers of noted director Karim Aïnouz's film Love for Sale (O Céu de Suely), one of the Brazilian films to have a theatrical release here in late 2007, along with Tata Amaral's Antonia. 2008 an 2009 promise to continue the wave of exciting Brazilian cinematic offerings, including Salles' Linha de Passe and Bruno Barreto's (Dona Flora and Her Two Husbands, Four Days in September) new film 174, a fiction based on the story of the infamous Bus 174 incident.
The Films of Janeiro in New York 2008
ALICE'S HOUSE | A CASA DE ALICE
| A film by Chico Texeira | Brazil, 2007, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Chico Teixeira's multi-award winning first feature about contemporary life in Brazil. As portrayed by the luminous Carla Ribas, Alice, a middle-aged manicurist living in Sâo Paulo, has to overcome obstacles by the male dominated world she finds herself trapped in. Filled with profound insights about family, relationships, and trust, it is the most unlikely of Brazilian films.
THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION | O ANO EM QUE MEUS PAIS SAíRAM DE FÉRIAS
| A film by Cao Hamburger | Brazil, 2007, 108 min. In Portuguese and Yiddish with English subtitles
Brazil's Official Selection for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Set in the turbulent year of 1970, this poignant and humorous coming of age story thrusts twelve year-old Mauro into a maelstrom of political and personal upheaval. When his left-wing militant parents are forced to go underground, Mauro is left in the care of his Jewish grandfather's neighbor in Sâo Paulo. Suddenly finding himself an exile in his own country, he is forced to create an ersatz family from the religiously diverse and colorful population of his new neighborhood. A second film for writer-director Cao Hamburger, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation was a selection of the 2007 Berlin Film Festival competition and was the Audience Award winner at the Rio International Film Festival.
| A film by Paulo Morelli | Brazil, 2007, 110 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
In City of Men, producer Fernando Meirelles returns to the Brazilian favelas of his Academy Award-nominated film, City of God. Growing up in a culture dictated by violence and run by street gangs, teenagers Acerola (Douglas Silva) and Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha) have become close as brothers. With their eighteenth birthdays fast approaching, Laranjinha sets out to find the father he never met, while Acerola struggles to raise his own young son. But when they suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of a gang war, the lifelong friends are forced to confront a shocking secret from their shared past.
| Afilm by João Moreira Salles | Brazil, 2007, 80 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Santiago is an extraordinary documentary feature film by Joâo Moreira Salles (brother of Walter Salles). The filmmaker interviews his family's remarkable Argentine butler, a complex, cultured man adept in diplomatic missions and scholarly research. Ultimately, Santiago becomes a profound meditation on memory, social class and the very nature of documentary filmmaking. The film was recently acquired for the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection and it will be screening at MoMA as part of their annual Documentary Fortnight series, co-presented with Cinema Tropical.
Cinema Tropical has compiled a list of the Top Ten Latin American Films of the Decade (2000-2009), based on a survey of distinguished critics, scholars and film professionals based in the New York City area. This first-ever survey of its kind was culled from 35 prominent local voices in film whose work has been devoted to the promotion and dissemination of Latin American cinema in New York and the United States. In all, 124 films representing 14 Latin American countries were nominated for the distinction of being Best of the Decade, demonstrating the great quality and diversity of films from the region.
Foreword "Shipreck in the Middle of the Mountain: La Ciénaga", David Oubiña "Amores Perros", Paul Julian Smith "Silent Light: Carlos Reygadas' Meditation on Love and Ritual", Naief Yehya "City of God: Eight Years Later", Else R. P. Vieira "Bus 174", Gerard Dapena "Y Tu Mamá También", Misha MacLaird "Whisky", Tamara Falicov "They and the Others, in a Country Gone Mad: The Headless Woman", Josefina Sartora "The Holy Girl", Jerónimo Rodríguez "Pan's Labyrinth", Howard Feinstein
ISBN: 978-1-934978-39-9 || ISBN10: 1-934978-39-6
Retail price $14.95 plus shipping + handling
THE OVERALL LIST
FILM
DIRECTOR
Country
1)
LA CIÉNAGA (2001)
Lucrecia Martel
Argentina
2)
AMORES PERROS (2000)
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Mexico
3)
LUZ SILENCIOSA (Silent Light,2007)
Carlos Reygadas
Mexico
4)
CIDADE DE DEUS (City of God, 2002)
Fernando Meirelles
Brazil
5)
ÔNIBUS 174 (Bus 174, 2002)
Jose Padilha, Felipe Lacerda
Brazil
6)
Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN
Alfonso Cuarón
Mexico
7)
WHISKY (2004)
Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll
Uruguay
8)
LA MUJER SIN CABEZA (The Headless Woman, 2008)
Lucrecia Martel
Argentina
9)
LA NIÑA SANTA (The Holy Girl,2004)
Lucrecia Martel
Argentina
10)
EL LABERINTO DEL FAUNO (Pan's Labyrinth, 2006)
Guillermo del Toro
Mexico/Spain
11)
NUEVE REINAS (Nine Queens, 2000)
Fabián Bielinsky
Argentina
12)
BOLIVIA (2001)
Adrián Caetano
Argentina
13)
LA NANA (The Maid, 2009)
Sebastián Silva
Chile
14)
MADAME SATÂ (2002)
Karim Aïnouz
Brazil
14)
JAPÓN (2002)
Carlos Reygadas
Mexico
16)
HISTORIAS MÍNIMAS (Intimate Stories, 2002)
Carlos Sorín
Argentina
17)
LA LIBERTAD (2002)
Lisandro Alonso
Argentina
18)
LA TETA ASUSTADA (The Milk of Sorrow, 2009)
Claudia Llosa
Peru
19)
DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (The MotorcycleDiaries, 2004)
Walter Salles
Argentina
20)
XXY (2007)
Lucía Puenzo
Argentina
20)
SANTIAGO (2007)
João Moreira Salles
Brazil
22)
JOGO DE CENA (Playing, 2007)
Eduardo Coutinho
Brazil
23)
EL VIOLÍN (2005)
Francisco Vargas
Mexico
24)
LAKE TAHOE (2008)
Fernando Eimbcke
Mexico
25)
LOS RUBIOS (2003)
Albertina Carri
Argentina
26)
EL BAÑO DEL PAPA (The Pope's Toilet, 2007)
Charlone, Fernández
Uruguay
27)
EDÍFICO MASTER (2002)
Eduardo Coutinho
Brazil
27)
O CÉO DE SUELY (Love for Sale: Suely in the Sky, 2006)
Karim Ainouz
Brazil
29)
DIAS DE SANTIAGO (Days of Santiago, 2004)
Josué Méndez
Peru
29)
TEMPORADA DE PATOS (Duck Season, 2004)
Fernando Eimbcke
Mexico
29)
CINEMA, ASPIRINAS E URUBUS (2005)
Marcelo Gomes
Brazil
32)
LOS GUANTES MÁGICOS (The Magic Gloves, 2003)
Martín Rejtman
Argentina
32)
NADIE TE OYE: PERFUME DE VIOLETAS (2001)
Marisa Sistach
Mexico
32)
TONY MANERO (2008)
Pablo Larraín
Chile
32)
MACHUCA (2004)
Andrés Wood
Chile
36)
EL BONAERENSE (2002)
Pablo Trapero
Argentina
36)
CAMA ADENTRO (Live in Maid, 2005)
Jorge Gaggero
Argentina
36)
El ABRAZO PARTIDO (Broken Embrace, 2004)
Daniel Burman
Argentina
36)
LA SAGRADA FAMILIA (2004)
Sebastían Lelio
Chile
36)
ÓSCAR (2004)
Sergio Morkin
Argentina
36)
EN EL HOYO (2006)
Juan Carlo Rulfo
Mexico
36)
LLOS MUERTOS (2004)
Lisandro Alonso
Argentina
36)
SUITE HABANA (2003)
Fernando Pérez
Cuba
44)
CRÓNICAS (2004)
Sebastían Cordero
Ecuador
44)
PEÕES (Metalworkers, 2004)
Eduardo Coutinho
Brazil
44)
PLATA QUEMADA (Burnt Money, 2000)
Marcelo Piñeyro
Argentina
47)
TROPA DE ELITE (Elite Squad, 2007)
José Padilha
Brazil
47)
25 WATTS (2001)
Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll
Uruguay
47)
COCALERO (2007)
Alejandro Landes
Bolivia/Arg
47)
LA RABIA (2008)
Albertina Carri
Argentina
47)
ESTAMIRA (2004)
Marcos Prado
Brazil
47)
HISTORIAS EXTRAORDINARIAS (2008)
Mariano Llinás
Argentina
47)
EL HIJO DE LA NOVIA (2001)
Juan Jóse Campanella
Argentina
54)
NUNCA MÁS (2001)
Marta Rodríguez, Fernando Restrepo Castañeda
Colombia
54)
PERPETUUM MOBILE (2009)
Nicolás Pereda
Mexico
54)
MALDEAMORES (2007)
Carlitos Ruiz Ruiz, Mariem Pérez Riera
Puerto Rico
54)
TOMAS DE GUERRA (2003)
Patricia Castaño, Adelaida Trujillo
Colombia
54)
LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO (2005)
Ricardo de Montreuil
Peru/Mexico
54)
EL CASO PINOCHET (2001)
Patricio Guzmán
Chile
54)
EL CIELO DIVIDIDO (2006)
Julían Hernández
Mexico
54)
CASA DE AREIA (2005)
Andrucha Waddington
Brazil
54)
ROCHA QUE VOA (2002)
Eryck Rocha
Brazil
54)
HAMACA PARAGUAYA (2006)
Paz Encina
Paraguay
54)
MÚSICA EN ESPERA (2009)
Hernán A. Golfrid
Argentina
54)
O CHEIRO DO RALO (Drained, 2006)
Heitor Dhalia
Brazil
66)
EL PERRO (2004)
Carlos Sorín
Argentina
66)
PACHAMAMA (2008)
Toshifumi Matsushita
Bolivia
66)
CHEGA DE SAUDADE(2007)
Laís Bodanzky
Brazil
66)
EN LA CAMA (In Bed, 2005)
Matías Bize
Chile
66)
LA PASÍON DE MARIA ELENA (2003)
Moncada Rodríguez
Mexico
66)
JANELA DA ALMA (2001)
Jardim, Carvalho
Brazil
66)
EL CUSTODIO (2006)
Rodrigo Moreno
Argentina
66)
LEONERA (2008)
Pablo Trapero
Argentina
66)
EL IMMORTAL (2005)
Moncada Rodríguez
Nicaragua/Mexico
75)
UN AÑO SIN AMOR (2005)
Anahí Berneri
Argentina
75)
CARANDIRU (2003)
Héctor Babenco
Brazil
75)
RABIOSO SOL, RABIOSO CIELO (2009)
Julián Hernández
Mexico
75)
O PRISIONERO DA GRADE DE FERRO (2004)
Paulo Sacramento
Brazil
75)
LIVERPOOL (2008)
Lisandro Alonso
Argentina
75)
NADA (2001)
Cremata Malberti
Cuba
75)
SEÑORITA EXTRAVIADA (2001)
Lourdes Portillo
Mexico
75)
TAN DE REPENTE (2003)
Diego Lerman
Argentina
75)
EL TELÓN DE AZUCAR (2005)
Guzmán Urzúa
Cuba
75)
O FIM E O PRINCIPIO (2005)
Eduardo Coutinho
Brazil
75)
SUMAS Y RESTAS (2004)
Víctor Gaviria
Colombia
86)
JUÍZO (2008)
Maria Ramos
Brazil
86)
EL MÉTODO (2005)
Marcelo Piñeyro
Argentina
86)
NÁUFRAGOS: VENGO DE UN AVIÓN QUE CAYÓ EN LAS MONTAÑAS (2007)
Gonzalo Arijón
Uruguay
86)
EL NIÑO PEZ (2009)
Lucía Puenzo
Argentina
86)
ACCIDENTE (2007)
Guimarães, Lobato
Brazil
86)
HACER PATRIA (2006)
David Blaustein
Argentina
86)
CLEOPATRA (2007)
Júlio Bressane
Brazil
86)
ALAMAR (2009)
Pedro González-Rubio
Mexico
86)
EL AURA (2005)
Fabián Bielinsky
Argentina
86)
A FESTA DA MENINA MORTA (2008)
Matheus Nachtergaele
Brazil
86)
SOY CUBA, O MAMUTE SIBERIANO (2005)
Vicente Ferraz
Brazil
86)
EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO (2002)
Carlos Carrera
Mexico
98)
NACIDO Y CRIADO (2006)
Pablo Trapero
Argentina
98)
O ANO EM QUE MEUS PAIS SAÍRAM DE FÉRIAS (The Year my Parents Went on Vacation, 2006)
Cao Hamburger
Brazil
98)
LA SIERRA (2005)
Scott Dalton, Margarita Martínez
Colombia
98)
EL CUERNO DE LA ABUNDANCIA (2008)
Juan Carlos Tabío
Cuba
98)
COPACABANA (2006)
Martín Rejtman
Argentina
98)
MATAR A TODOS (Kill them All, 2006)
Esteban Schroeder
Uruguay/Chile
98)
BATALLA EN EL CIELO (2005)
Carlos Reygadas
Mexico
105)
ABRIL DESPEDACADO (2001)
Walter Salles
Brazil
105)
FIESTA PATRIA (2006)
Luis A. Vera
Chile
105)
TRÓPICO DE CANCER (2004)
Eugenio Polgovsky
Mexico
105)
CIDADE BAIXA (2005)
Sergío Machado
Brazil
105)
CONEJO EN LA LUNA (2004)
Jorge Ramírez Suárez
Mexico
105)
BOLÍVAR SOY YO (2002)
Jorge Alí Triana
Colombia
105)
CORDERO DE DIOS(2008)
Lucía Cedrón
Argentina
105)
BAIXIO DAS BESTAS (2006)
Cláudio Assis
Brazil
105)
LUGARES COMUNES (2002)
Adolfo Aristarain
Argentina
105)
VALENTÍN (2002)
Alejandro Agresti
Argentina
115)
COCHOCHI (2007)
Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán
Mexico
115)
A CASA DE ALICE (Alice's House, 2007)
Chico Teixera
Brazil
115)
ÚLTIMA PARADA 174 (Last Stop 174, 2008)
Bruno Barreto
Brazil
115)
POSTALES DE LENINGRADO (2007)
Mariana Rondón
Venezuela
115)
EL VUELO DEL CANGREJO (2009)
Oscar Ruíz Navia
Colombia
115)
LA FAMILIA RODANTE(2004)
Pablo Trapero
Argentina
115)
PERRO COME PERRO (2008)
Carlos Moreno
Colombia
115)
MEMORIAS DEL SAQUEO (2004)
Fernando Solanas
Argentina
115)
AQUÍ SE CONSTRUYE (YA NO EXISTE EL LUGAR DONDE NACÍ) (2000)
Eduardo Coutinho, 4 Pablo Trapero, 4 Lisandro Alonso, 3 Lucrecia Martel, 3 Carlos Reygadas, 3 Carlos Sorín, 3 Karim Aïnouz, 2 Fabián Bielinsky, 2 Albertina Carri, 2 Fernando Eimbcke, 2 Julián Hernández, 2 Mercedes Moncada Rodríguez, 2 José Padilha, 2 Marcelo Piñeyro, 2 Lucía Puenzo, 2 Juan Pablo Rebella, 2 Martín Rejtman, 2 Walter Salles, 2 Pablo Stoll, 2 Alejandro Agresti, 1 Ignacio Agüero, 1 Jorge Alí Triana, 1 Gonzalo Arijón, 1 Adolfo Aristarain, 1 Cláudio Assis, 1 Hector Babenco, 1 Bruno Barreto, 1 Anahí Berneri, 1 Matías Bize, 1 David Blaustein, 1 Laíz Bodanzky, 1 Julio Bressane, 1 Daniel Burman, 1 Adrián Caetano, 1 Juan José Campanella, 1 Sebastián Campos (Lelio), 1 Walter Carvalho, 1 Carlos Carrera, 1 Patricia Castaño, 1 Israel Cárdenas 1 Lucía Cedrón, 1 César Charlone, 1 Sebastián Cordero, 1 Juan Carlos Cremata, 1 Alfonso Cuarón, 1 Scott Dalton, 1 Ricardo de Montreuil, 1 Guillermo del Toro, 1 Heitor Dhalia, 1 Paz Encina, 1 Enrique Fernández, 1 Vicente Ferraz, 1 Jorge Gaggero, 1 Víctor Gavíria, 1 Hernán A. Golfrid, 1 Marcelo Gomes, 1 Alejandro González Iñárritu, 1 Pedro González-Rubio, 1 Cao Guimarães, 1 Laura Amelia Guzmán, 1 Patricio Guzmán, 1 Camila Guzmán Urzúa, 1 Cao Hamburger, 1 João Jardim, 1 Alejandro Landes, 1 Diego Lerman, 1 Mariano Llinás, 1 Pablo Larraín, 1 Claudia Llosa, 1 Pablo Lobato, 1 Margarita Martínez, 1 Toshifumi Matsushita, 1 Fernando Meirelles, 1 Josué Méndez, 1 Rodrigo Moreno, 1 Carlos Moreno, 1 Sergio Morkin, 1 Matheus Nachtergaele, 1 Felipe Lacerda, 1 Nicolás Pereda, 1 Fernando Pérez Mariem Pérez Riera, 1 Marcelo Piñeyro, 2 Rodrigo Plá, 1 Eugenio Polgovsky, 1 Lourdes Portillo, 1 Marcos Prado, 1 Jorge Ramírez Suárez, 1 Maria Ramos, 1 Erick Rocha, 1 Fernando Restrepo, 1 Marta Rodríguez, 1 Mariana Rondón, 1 Carlitos Ruiz, 1 Oscar Ruiz Navia, 1 Juan Carlos Rulfo, 1 José Sacramento, 1 João Salles, 1 Esteban Schroeder, 1 Sebastián Silva, 1 Maryse Sistach, 1 Fernando Solanas, 1 Juan Carlos Tabío, 1 Chico Teixera, 1 Adelaida Trujillo, 1 Francisco Vargas, 1 Luis R. Vera, 1 Andrucha Waddington, 1 Andrés Wood, 1
SURVEY PARTICIPANTS (in alphabetical order)
Inés Aslán – Communications Officer, El Museo del Barrio Graciela Berger Wegsman – Playwright / Journalist, New York Daily News, Hora Hispana Rodrigo Brandão – Director of Publicity, Kino International Roberto Busó-García - Founder, Alquimia Films Fabiano Canosa – Film programmer Jerry W. Carlson – Film professor, The City College & Graduate Center CUNY Rebeca Conget - VP Acquisitions and Distribution, Film Movement Gerard Dapena - Scholar of Hispanic cinemas and visual culture Christian Del Moral – Film blogger, CineLatinoNY Mario Díaz – Filmmaker / Film blogger Howard Feinstein – Film critic, Screen / Programmer, Panorama and Sarajevo Film Festival Cristina Garza – International Sales and Distribution, FiGa Films Marcela Goglio – Programmer, Latinbeat (Film Society of Lincoln Center) Pablo Goldbarg – Filmmaker / Writer, Remezcla, Cinema Tropical Javier Guerrero – Director, 100% Venezuela (NYU Venezuelan Film Festival) Carlos A. Gutiérrez – Co-Founding Director, Cinema Tropical Paula Heredia - Filmmaker/editor, Casa Clementina. Jytte Jensen – Curator, MoMA Department of Film Peter Lucas – Professor, Department of Photography and Imaging and Open Arts at the Tisch School of Arts at New York University Yehudit Mam – Filmmaker / Blogger, The Grande Enchilada Mary Jane Marcasiano – Special Events Advisor, Cinema Tropical / Programmer Alberto Medina – Author / Associate professor, Columbia University Micki Mihich – Filmmaker, film critic and blogger, Dynamite Magazine and Dynamite Online Lucila Moctezuma – Film programmer and coordinator, Tribeca Latin America Media Arts Fund (Tribeca Film Institute) Nuria Net - Editor-in-Chief, Co-Founder, Remezcla.com Louis Perego Moreno – Executive Producer, Skyline Features Carmen Oquendo – Researcher and film curator, NYU Jack Rico – Editor-in-Chief, ShowBizCafe.com Alex Rivera - Filmmaker/founder SubCine Jerónimo Rodríguez – Film critic/Host, Toma 1 (NY1 Noticias) Paul Julian Smith – Author, The Cinema of Pedro Almodóvar and Amores Perros Roselly Torres - Distribution & Marketing Director, Third World Newsreel Diana Vargas – Programmer, Havana Film Festival (NY) and Corto Circuito Mónika Wagenberg – Co-Founding Director, Cinema Tropical Naief Yehya – Film critic, La Jornada, Milenio / Author, The Transformed Body, War and Propaganda
THE SURVEY 32 professionals from the New York area participated in this first-ever survey. They include film critics, bloggers, festival programmers, distributors, and academics. They were invited to participate because their work has demonstrated a keen knowledge of Latin American cinema and/or because they have been active in promoting and disseminating it in the United States. The survey itself was created with the goal of increasing awareness of Latin American film within the U.S. movie-going public and the film community as a whole.
The 32 participants were simply asked to provide their favorite top-ten list of Latin American films (those produced in a Latin American country and helmed by a Latin American director) released either commercially or via film festivals between 2000-2009. The ballots were then tabulated according to the following point system: The #1 pick received 10 points, the #2 received 9 points, and so on until reaching the #10 pick which was assigned a point value of 1. In total, 55 points were spread among the 10 films in each ballot.
Some participants chose not to rank their ballots. In those cases, the 55 total points were divided evenly among the ten selections. Each received a point value of 5.5.
This survey was created and compiled by filmmaker and blogger Mario Díaz [http://diazfilm.blogspot.com/], and Cinema Tropical Co-Founding Director Carlos Gutiérrez.
INDIVIDUAL SELECTIONS
Click here to see all of the individual selections of the survey's participants (pdf format)
Friday, February 6, 7pm | 
Saturday, February 7, 3pm | 
Tuesday, February 25, 9pm | 
..............
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Monday, February 24, 9pm | 
Tuesday, February 25, 7pm | 
Wednesday, February 26, 7pm | 
Wednesday, September 11, 6:30pm
Thursday, September 12, 6pm
Friday, September 13, 6pm
Thursday, September 19, 6pm
Tuesday, October 1, 6pm
NACIDO SIN | BORN WITHOUT
Tuesday, July 23, 7:15pm
Tuesday, July 23, 8:45pm
Wednesday, July 24, 7:15pm
Thursday, May 23, 7pm
Thursday, April 25, 7pm
Friday, March 22, 7pm
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 7pm
Thursday, April 11, 2012 at 7pm
Special guest: Andy Summers
