Iberoamérica viaja a Berlín

A partir del 11 de febrero el Festival Internacional de Cine de Berlín (más conocido como la Berlinale), abrirá sus puertas nuevamente, acogiendo no sólo a películas que competirán por el famoso Oso de Oro, sino también a diversas iniciativas que transcurren en paralelo al festival, como ser el Talent Campus o el Co-Production Market.

Cinco películas hispanas participarán de este mercado paralelo que ya va por su séptima edición, en búsqueda de socios, productores, financieras y hasta potenciales distribuidores. El chileno Marco Bechis (Garage Olimpo, 1999) presenta Caminos Líquidos con co-producción italiana. El argentino Eduardo Rípari por largo tiempo asistente de dirección, presentará su primer proyecto de largometraje, El Testamento. Alicia Scherson (Turistas, 2009) presenta El Futuro, una co-producción entre Chile y España. Por Brasil participará Marcos Bernstein (escritor de Estación Central, 1998, y otras), con O Meu Pé De Laranja Lima, y por Costa Rica Laura Astorga con Princesas Rojas.

En la competencia oficial, y ante glorias como Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski y Zhang Yimou, la argentina Natalia Smirnoff, con camino parecido al de Eduardo Rípari, debutará con su ópera prima Rompecabezas, con la ilusión de llevarse a casa el Oso de Oro. Anteriormente otros argentinos lograron premios en este festival: Daniel Burman, Oso de Plata con El Abrazo Partido (2004) y Rodrigo Moreno, el Alfred Bauer por El Custodio (2006).

Smirnoff recibió en el 2009 la suma de 10.000 euros al ganar el premio de Casa de América de Ayuda a la Postproducción del Cine Latinoamericano. Todos ellos, y tantos otros que se quedaron afuera, demuestran que el cine de habla hispana sigue siendo un gran protagonista internacional, y nuevos talentos se desarrollan cada vez más.

Trailer:

Imágen: Victoria Onetto en Rompecabezas.

From Here And There

Two Latino films open this month. One of them is from the Bronx, New York. The other one is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although the stories are very different —even the genres—, both main characters share an important condition: the need of a change.

Falling Awake (2009), written and directed by Cuban born Agustín (El Vacilón, 2009), tells the story of a young Latino musician in the Bronx, who struggles to find his identity. It’s a story about survival beyond class and condition, and the possibilities to live a life outside poverty and violence.

The Paranoids (2008), by Gabriel Medina, stars Berlin Silver Bear winner Daniel Hendler (Lost Embrace, Whisky), as a guy who works in birthday parties and writes his first feature and will engage in a conflict with a friend and his girlfriend.

Falling Awake’s trailer:

The Paranoids’ trailer:

Photo: Daniel Hendler, Jazmín Stuart and Walter Jakob (The Paranoids)

The Ten Best Latin American Films of the Decade

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. I was invited and honored to be one of them.

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.

Click here to see the winners and detail information about each people’s choices:

The Ten Best Latin American Films of the Decade

My choices

First of all, I want to thank Cinema Tropical for this opportunity, and for all the contributions they have made, not only to the Latin American film industry, but also to the local film community in New York. It was very difficult to choose only ten among so many great films from what is perhaps the most prolific and blooming decade of Latin American film production and international distribution.

One of the first rules I applied was to resist bias or excessive pride, so less than half of the films on the list are Argentine.

The second rule was to promote low to medium budget productions —an accurate representation of the Latin American film industry. Still, there are a few exceptions I found impossible to avoid.

My third and last rule was to not betray my taste. I think the role of the critic is to highlight the best elements of a film, to ask questions beyond personal ideology, and to not lose sight of our role as audience members. Because after all, cinema is an artistic exercise of communication where the audience has the last word.

We could argue about these choices for hours, days, years; that’s precisely the Latin American essence of contention, rebelliousness and challenge.

The list:

1. Amores Perros (Love’s A Bitch) (Alejandro González Iñárritu, México, 2000)

It made me love filmmaking with animal passion! It marked a “before and after” that revolutionized the Latin American film industry, claiming a space among the best Hollywood films. After Pulp Fiction there is probably no other film that so craftfully treats parallel stories. But this one has a local cultural flavor interwoven under the skin. I didn’t doubt for a second to put this film on the top of the list.

2. Cidade de Deus (City of God) (Fernando Meirelles, Brazil, 2002)

This is the only Brazilian film I have in my list, and I still wonder why I don’t have a José Padilha’s film in my list. Some people argue that it’s a pity that Brazilian cinema is worldwide known for a “violent” film, having such a long list of great sensitive films like Central Station, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation, Two Sons of Francisco or Suely in the Sky. But let’s just say that Cidade de Deus has not a single element in the story out of place, not a single frame without perfect cinematography, performance or sound. It shakes you so strong and touches you so delicately at the same time, that you won’t completely understand why you are seeing it again, and again.

3. La Ciénaga (The Swamp) (Lucrecia Martel, Argentina, 2001)

Argentine society has historically been based on patriarchical values. That’s not a surprise in Latin America; most of its countries are too. Choosing a woman as the creator of the best Argentine film of this decade is… challenging —especially if it’s not about Buenos Aires. But not as challenging as this film: on the surface it’s slow, boring and static. Beneath the surface, it’s exactly the opposite. Well, it’s a swamp after all!

4. Historias Mínimas (Intimate Stories) (Carlos Sorín, Argentina, 2002)

They are intimate, minimal, simple stories. They are nowhere, nobodies. But Carlos Sorín is not. He has been my favorite Argentine filmmaker for many years. When I was a kid he captivated me with La Película del Rey (A King and His Movie). When I was a teenager he made me doubt my own existence with La Era del Ñandú, defying the limit between documentary and fiction. And after a thirteen-year hiatus he came back to make everyone fall in love with this film written by Pablo Solarz, now for many the best Argentine screenwriter.

5. El Violín (The Violin) (Francisco Quevedo Vargas, México, 2005)

Let’s put it this way: when I finished watching this films I said to myself “this is the kind of film I want to make”. Do I need to say more? It’s the most awarded Mexican film in history, it had a very low budget, it’s a powerful story from beginning to end, it’s extremely political and it screams for social justice with great amateur performances and exquisite cinematography. It’s Latin America in its purest state.

6. Japón (Carlos Reygadas, México, 2002)

Reygadas, a master in sublime cinema, keeps on improving his own films and exploring with non-actors and stunning cinematography the worlds of imagery, life and death. Japón, his first film, is a little gem inspired by the films of Andrei Tarkovsky. From its unusual sex scenes to its symbolism, it’s a film that will leave you thinking, wishing this filmmaker releases a new one soon.

7. El Hijo de la Novia (Son of the Bride) (Juan José Campanella, Argentina, 2001)

I had a heated discussion with myself about choosing between Campanella’s Luna de Avellaneda and this one. Both are hilarious, sensitive, and positive. Both masterfully depict the middle class from Buenos Aires. But I think El Hijo de la Novia goes a little further: it brings the unconditional love we can have for the queen of our homes: our mother, our wife. And nobody could ever feel untouched about it —especially with such an impressive cast (Norma Aleandro, Ricardo Darín, Héctor Alterio).

8. Nueve Reinas (Nine Queens) (Fabián Bielinsky, Argentina, 2000)

This is the last Argentine film on this list. It was the toughest decision, leaving behind one of my favorite films like Rodrigo Moreno’s El Custodio, Pablo Trapero’s El Bonaerense, or Israel Caetano’s Bolivia. I finally decided to choose Nueve Reinas for a few reasons: first of all, like the rest of Bielinsky’s stories, it works like a Swiss clock. Second, it’s not just a great action film; nobody depicted the crooks and pickpockets of Buenos Aires like him. And third, it’s simply an homage to one of the best filmmakers of the decade who unfortunately died too soon.

9. Whisky (Whisky) (Juan Pablo Rebella & Pablo Stoll, Uruguay, 2004)

Speaking of losing a great young filmmaker, everyone was shocked in the Latin American film industry upon reading the news of Rebella’s suicide, a week after Bielinsky’s death. This Uruguayan duo of filmmakers put Uruguay on the map of film festivals and awards, inspiring another Uruguayan duo, César Charlone and Enrique Fernández with their magnificent first film El Baño del Papa (The Pope’s Toilet). Whisky is a satire and portrayal of Uruguayan society, also involving the delicate theme of distanced family relationships.

10. Machuca (Machuca) (Andrés Wood, Chile, 2004)

What? There is a “new Chilean cinema” besides Raúl Ruiz, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Patricio Guzmán? This poignant film definitely surprised me. It’s beautifully shot, solidly performed, and its pace lets us get inside the characters’ minds. This last choice in the top ten left behind many great films from countries already on the list, and also from others like Cuba, Colombia and Perú. But I couldn’t help putting at least one film that recreates the dark era of Latin American dictatorships, especially from the point of view of a child, and especially about Chile, with such a divided society clashing because of class and ideology. Wood does it so well that it’s hard to believe it was filmed five years ago.

Tres Microrrelatos Tres

Ejercicios de 250 palabras para un concurso de microrrelatos de abogados en España.

RECOGIENDO FRUTOS

Palabras: litigio, vendimia, denuncia, globo, teclado

Era irracional sentirse tan desesperanzado, vacío como un globo desinflado; aquella tarde me faltaba el aire. Comprendí que no podía seguir priorizando expedientes y tribunales por sobre el resto de mi vida. El último litigio perdido —el soldador contra la petrolera por envenenamiento con sulfuro— había extraído mi energía como si yo fuese un yacimiento. Observé al dedo anular temblando sobre el teclado y temí un inminente síncope, pero tampoco deseaba cerrar el estudio, herencia que yo tanto adoraba. Recordé cuando aún estudiaba y mi abuelo me decía que defender trabajadores en desigualdad daría siempre sus frutos. ¿Acaso yo no debía sentirme pleno? Entonces apareció ella, tan dulce como uva torrontés. “Reina de la Vendimia denuncia a viñedo por incumplimiento de pagos”, titularon los diarios unos meses después. Lo maravilloso no es que ganamos el juicio, sino que nos enamoramos. Junto a ella pude vislumbrarlo todo: el viejo tenía razón.

JURISDICCIÓN UNIVERSAL

Palabras: morbo, multa, espectro, malversación, jurisdicción

—¡Juicio a un espectro por malversación de fondos y estafa! —le aclaró Eduardo a su socio.

—Pero, hombre, ¿de qué hablás? —contestó Mario extrañado.

—¡Lo vi en el tribunal con mis propios ojos!

—Bueno, bajá la voz que nos pueden escuchar.

En el bar se registraba el movimiento cotidiano. Ambos abogados desayunaban y se preparaban para una jornada más.

—Y decime —prosiguió Mario descreído—, ¿en qué cárcel meterán a un espectro, si se puede escapar por entre los barrotes?

—El juez decidió que no habrá cárcel, sino un castigo ejemplar: o revive y paga una multa por lo que debe, o será un espectro para siempre, atrapado entre ambos mundos.

—¡Qué morbo siempre en nuestra jurisdicción!

—¿Nuestra? —dijo Eduardo.

Mario sintió un viento en su nuca. Se dio vuelta; la ventana estaba cerrada. Nunca más vio a su socio. Algunos incluso aseguran que esa mesa siempre estuvo vacía.

NUEVA LEY

Palabras: plazo, panfleto, ginecólogo, resolución, impuestos

La resolución para prorrogar los impuestos acababa de ser aprobada en la Cámara de Diputados. De esta manera, no sólo se extendía el plazo de los vencimientos impositivos garantizando una abultada recaudación anual, sino que el oficialismo volvía a triunfar en otra épica jornada de votos. La Ley de Medios también era un hecho, y una oposición confundida y dividida le estaba dando una alegría tras otra al matrimonio presidencial. Sí, los venían investigando sobre sus escandalosas ganancias, que habían aumentado exponencialmente desde que gobernaban, pero nada de qué preocuparse. Incluso aquel famoso panfleto que circulaba por los pasillos del Congreso los tenía sin cuidado. La vida le sonreía a la presidenta… hasta que llegó esa maldita tarde. Los allegados que la vieron salir del consultorio de su ginecólogo no pudieron ocultar su preocupación. Su rostro lo decía todo: ya era hora de tratar la Ley del Aborto.

10 Selected Tweets @pablogoldbarg

“Today at the NYC marathon there was a couple (she 85; he 75) running while I was kissing a bagel with cream cheese.”

“Should I quit coffee or writing?”

“¿Cómo animarse, desde la cotidianidad arropada de un día cualquiera, a escribir sobre el artista que desangrado se desnuda ante nosotros?”

“You can be Jailed for feeding the homeless, but not for carrying a gun. I knew some foods were unhealthy, but not so dangerous…”

“Have you ever dreamt you were dreaming?”

“I’m worried about the effects of tweeting from the bathroom.”

“I’ve seen it all in NYC. I even lived in an apartment with no kitchen… in Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Whoever leaves New York without writing is trapped by emptiness. But who writes while being there will be trapped by New York forever.”

“How is it possible that 30 years after the times of Harvey Milk being gay is still an issue?”

“¡El pacto Grondona-Kirchner es la última vergüenza argentina!” *

* Este tweet está desactualizado. Hay varias nuevas vergüenzas.

Luz, Cámara, Acción

“Se enciende la luz sobre la cámara, entran al restaurante técnicos, asistentes de producción, avanzan hacia mi mesa cuidando los cables, periodista con micrófono en mano. ¿Es a mí? Sí, sí. Creo que me gané un premio, ¡estoy en televisión! Mi corazón late más fuerte, no puedo evitar sonreír, asombrarme, dejar de comer. ¿Será una invitación a algún programa de preguntas y respuestas? ¿Un crucero? Una cena con Leticia Brédice. La voy a hacer reír, van a brillar sus ojos cielo, romance prohibido. ¿Estoy bien vestido? ¿Esos son policías o actores? Primero entra el Inspector Tedesco, diecisiete años en la Federal, aún le gusta salir de cacería, trae a dos hombres de confianza: Juárez y Lombardi. Sin las cámaras encendidas, Juárez me va a dar una lección adentro del patrullero. Desaparecen los mozos. Ese que ven ahí, como cuarto hombre, es un chico recién graduado de la Escuela de Policía. Me mira apenado, sabe que soy inofensivo, que estoy en la misma que él estaba hace algunos años; camina hacia el encargado para tomarle declaraciones. Escucho la voz de Juárez algo difusa, me agarra de un brazo, sacude como lo hace con su hijo cuando se porta mal. El periodista sigue preguntando, sólo espero que ellas no estén mirando la televisión. Tedesco apoya mi cabeza contra el mantel, se incrustan algunas migajas de pan en mi cara. El metal de las esposas quema como hielo. Todo parece un sueño, desde las paletas del ventilador de techo veo mi marcha, cuento la cantidad de baldosas, trato de no pisar las líneas, sé que estuve mal pero apagá esa cámara, cuánta gente hay afuera, me meten en el patrullero chocado. La cartuchera de Juárez tiene el cuero ajado, Lombardi no salva sus zapatos ni con pomada Cobra, ni aunque cobre el sueldo que le deben, y si no ¿cómo paga la ortodoncia de la nena?, tal vez con las coimas en los semáforos amarillos, que para él son rojos. Me hablan todos al mismo tiempo, y los entiendo como si me hubiese metido en sus cabezas. ¿De postre?, no me acuerdo. Suena la sirena, empieza el viaje, me corre un sudor frío. Me meterán preso, romperán los huesos, ¡violarán! ¿Me enfermaré, volveré a verlas, moriré adentro? ¿Dónde está el límite de la caída? ¿Lloraré la primera noche? ¿Acaso no entienden que tenía hambre? Avanzo en patrullero como lo hacía en mi andador antes de caminar. Cómo pasa el tiempo, cómo pasan los postes de luz, cómo duele mi estómago; no tendría que haber pedido papas, no me tendría que haber despertado.”

Writing at Grub Street

Writing exercise @ Boston’s Grub Street workshop:

1) You must use a “blue bike”

2) You must include the quote “If you do it again, I’ll cut your xxxxx off.”

3) One character must be Hannah Sheets, an olympian.

4) You have 15 minutes to come up with a story.

The Story

Hannah Sheets didn’t want to be recognized for anyone in the street after such a disappointing performance in the Olympics. She was riding an old blue corroded bike, not like her $12,000 Carbon Limited Edition provided by the National Team in Beijing. Not like the $13,200 T1 Titanium Carrera used in the NYC Triathlon. It was a dirty bargain that she bought in Craigslist for fifty bucks. That day, she definitely wanted to be just one more.

She was trying to park the bike against a fence, probably private property. A cranky 75-year-old man stepped out of his house and saw her locking the bike onto the fence.

—If you do it again, I’ll cut your tires off! And then your guts! I don’t mind if you’re a lady, a kindergarten kid or even the President’s daughter! Damn cyclists…

A passer-by looked at her, then the bike, and then he kept on walking. She looked around. Just a month before people would ask her for an autograph. A woman with a few kids walked in front of her without paying attention to her. Not even the passing cyclists. Hannah wasn’t recognized; after all, that’s what she wanted.

She unlocked the bike, and began walking with her bike, slowly, looking into everybody’s eyes.

Los Libros de Cortázar

Julio Cortázar (1914-1984) es considerado uno de los autores más innovadores y originales de todos los tiempos; un maestro del relato corto, la prosa poética y la narración breve en general. Pero sus cuentos no fueron únicos hitos en la historia de la literatura: su novela Rayuela (1963) inauguró una nueva forma de hacer literatura en Latinoamérica, rompiendo los moldes clásicos mediante narraciones que escaparon de la linealidad temporal.

El Centro Virtual Cervantes tiene una imperdible colección de libros que pertenecían a él —firmados, dedicados, con objetos, formatos curiosos y obras anotadas—. Esta colección ha sido donada por su viuda Aurora Bernárdez a la Fundación Juan March en 1993.

“Los Libros de Cortázar es una exposición reunida y comentada por Jesús Marchamalo que recoge una selección de los libros de Julio Cortázar. Esta nos dice mucho sobre su personalidad, gustos, aficiones, afinidades y amistades literarias. El recorrido por los escolios y anotaciones, las dedicatorias, las notas cariñosas y los marcapáginas caprichosos abandonados entre las hojas de un volumen es un viaje por pequeñeces solo aparentes. Y revela mucho más de lo que nos dice esa apariencia sobre una enorme figura de las letras universales.” *

Pasen y Vean:

Centro Virtual Cervantes

* Fuente: CVC

My 2009 Movie Rentals Favorites So Far

This is a list of the best movies I rented in the first half of this year 2009. Some of them are old, but who doesn’t have an old list of must watch in the drawers? So, if you ran out of options, or if you are not interested in watching any new releases, here a list of nice independent films:

Synecdoche, New York

(USA, 2008)

by Charlie Kaufman

Son of Rambow

(England, 2007)

by Garth Jennings

The Lives of Others

(Germany, 2007)

by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

The Kite Runner

(USA, 2007)

by Marc Foster

The Pope’s Toilet

(Uruguay, 2007)

by Enrique Fernandez & Cesar Charlone

My Father My Lord

(Israel, 2007)

by David Volach

The Science of Sleep

(France & Italy, 2006)

by Michel Gondry

Nobody Knows

(Japan, 2005)

by Hirokazu Koreeda

Man Push Cart

(USA, 2005)

by Ramin Bahrani

Whisky

(Uruguay, 2004)

by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Estol

Image: A scene from Whisky (Uruguay, 2004). Left to right, Jorge Bolani, Mirella Pascual & Andrés Pazos.

Tribeca 2009: School Desk

Picture this: you tell your family and friends that you have an idea for a new movie about a Colombian woman coming to the U.S. with her two children and husband. Two weeks after arrival, he abandons them, she then must struggle as a single mother against all odds: including hunger, homelessness, a home-made abortion. Your friends will probably think this story is too much; not realistic.

Well, you better believe it, because this is the life story of Paola Mendoza, writer, director and leading actor of Entre Nos (2009), who dedicates the film to her mother, who fought and never gave up, envisioning a bright future for Paola and her brother. Gloria La Morte co-wrote and co-directed this film that probably would be impossible to achieve without this double-helmed collaboration, being such a tremendous challenge for Mendoza to embark on all these roles, especially being a personal poignant story.

There is a very interesting and diverse casting: Andrés Munar (TV series Law & Order, Che) plays husband Antonio, first-time actors Sebastián Villada and Laura Montana play children Gabriel and Andrea, and two experienced actors like Anthony Chisholm (TV series Oz) and Sarita Choudhury (TV series Kings, Lady in the Water) play Joe and Preet, integrating amateur and professional performances into a balanced, authentic combination. Multicultural Queens, New York is the scenario for this immigrant chronicle where immigration is not the main theme, it is a given and actually, it is barely addressed. What allows the plot to develop is Mendoza and La Morte’s focus on the whole emotional journey of struggling to survive beyond a visa status. Mendoza plays Mariana, the mother, whose first instinct is to provide a daily solution for her children’s basic needs; she is also overwhelmed by the situation.

At some point the plot leaves some important questions unanswered: Why did Antonio abandon them? Why did they never try to call for help in Colombia? We don’t know if that was part of the true story or flaws in the script. Though there is a permanent collaboration between Mendoza and La Forte, the team took an important risk having Mendoza playing such a personal role in her first feature directing herself. But it’s not pretentious, simply because it’s a tribute to Mendoza’s mother. Said that, we must give a lot of credit to this team: it was a first feature for La Forte, and a second feature for Mendoza after her collaboration with Gabriel Noble (P-Star Rising, also in the Festival this year) in Autumn’s Eyes (2006).

Beyond some forced shots and a plot that becomes somehow predictable, this Tribeca All Access Alumni team have a bright future on their hands. Entre Nos has some glimpses of humor inside the drama, and it is an example of hope, inspiration and dignity, not only for most of the immigrants coming to the U.S., but also for all kind of people that must struggle in life. Empanadas for $1, collecting cans for 5 cents, and many other odd jobs that most New Yorkers ignore make possible accomplishing the American dream that still so many immigrants pursue. It is not necessarily becoming a successful artist, or a top executive, or living in a democracy. For many, it’s as simple as having the opportunity to sit in a school desk, the very basic step to have a dream coming true.

(Written for Remezcla)