Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Next Tuesday, August 1st, Caixa Cultural presents “Por dentro da Ilha — Cinema em Cuba nos anos 2000” (Inside the Island – Cuba’s Cinema in the 2000s). Through August 13th, the festival will exhibit 22 films, both directed by Cuban filmmakers and foreigners who have bonds with the Caribbean island.
The festival opens with the screening of “Venecia” (Venice, 2014), at 7PM, by Cuban director Kiki Alvarez.
Selected at festivals in Toronto, Miami and Guadalajara, the film tells the story of three friends from a hair salon who share a dream: going to Venice, in Italy.
On August 5th, the event pays tribute to Cuban filmmaker Nicolás Guillén Landrián, known for his controversial avant-guard documentaries from the 1960s.
The session will screen the shorts “Coffea Arabiga” (Coffee arabia, 1968) and “Los del Baile” (The ones from the ball, 1965), followed by the biographical documentary “Cafe con Leche” (Coffee with milk, 2003), directed by Manuel Zayas.
Among the highlights is the film “Digna guerra” (Dignified War, 2013), by Marcel Beltrán, to be exhibited on August 3rd and 12th. Winner at the 2013 Muestra Joven (Cuban’s Young Exhibit Festival) for best direction and best edition, the film portrays the life of a woman who reflects on Cuba’s political panorama after the revolution.
“Themes like immigration and the political system are very recurrent in Cuba’s audiovisual production. But there are many filmmakers who talk about other subjects in their works. Thus, the event aims to present the thematic diversity in Cuba’s film, including both documental and fictional productions”, explains Denise Kelm, the festival’s curator, who currently lives in Cuba.
A short film session on August 6th will exhibit six different works, including “Los Minutos, Las Horas” (The minutes, the hours, 2009), by Brazilian director Janaína Marqués, and “La llamada” (The call, 2014), run by Gustavo Vinagre, also Brazilian.
The festival will also offer two panel discussions: on August 4th, the Cuban filmmakers Iana Cossoy and Víctor Guerrero gather at the round table “Em épocas de mudanças, o que falar sobre o cinema cubano?” (In times of change, what to say about the Cuban film?), at 7:10 PM; On August 12th, also at 7:10 PM, the event’s curator Denise Kelm discusses the filming experience in Cuba.
What: “Por dentro da Ilha — Cinema em Cuba nos anos 2000” (Inside the Island – Cuba’s Cinema in the 2000s)
When: August 1st – August 13th – click here to see time details
Where: Caixa Cultural do Rio de Janeiro – Avenida Almirante Barroso, 25 – Centro – Tel: (21) 3980-3815
Entrance: R$2 – R$4
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