Now in its 13th year, this celebration of Spanish Cinema is starting in Sydney on the 5th May, with Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane to follow. Showing more than 40 films this year’s festival has something for everyone. With dramas, comedies, documentaries and children’s films; from Spanish speaking countries like Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica and Nicaragua; with performances from beautiful stars like Rachel Weisz and Penelope Cruz and showcasing the talents of acclaimed directors such as Alejandro Amenábar and Fernando Trueba- deciding which films to go see is going to be tough.
The Milk of Sorrow/ La Teta Asustada (Claudia Llosa, 2009) Peru/Spain
This 2009 winner of the Golden Bear at Berlin and Oscar nominated film was written and directed by Peruvian, Claudia Llosa. The film stars the mesmerising Magaly Solier (from the depressingly under seen Altiplano) as Fausta, a young woman haunted by her mother’s suffering. Fausta is said to have been nursed by the ‘milk of sorrow’, a title given to children whose parents were victims of the former terrorist regime in Peru. Combining social realities of contemporary Peru with the director’s magical realism, this film promises a truly exquisite cinema experiences.
This year’s festival is paying tribute to Spanish director Fernando Trueba, whose back catalogue includes Calle 54 (2000) and Oscar-winning Belle Epoque (1992). Headlining this section is his latest film The Dancer and the Thief, a heist film adapted from a novel by Antonio Skármeta. Set in post-dictatorship Chile, the film follows the exploits of two ex-cons released during a national amnesty for non-violent offenders. Starring Argentine actor Ricardo Darín (Nine Queens and 2010 Oscar winner El Secreto de sus Ojos) and young Spanish actor Abel Ayala as the daring criminals, who plan to steal the millions Pinochet amassed during his Presidency.
Trueba will be attending some of his films’ screenings in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra for Q&A sessions.
Screening on Closing Night, Agora is a big budget English language film from the director of The Others (2001) and Oscar-winning The Sea Inside (2004). Amenábar wrote, as well as directed, this European smash hit which stars Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener, The Lovely Bones) as Hypatia, an Alexandrian Astronomer. Set in 391 A.D. Alexandria where violent religious upheaval is causing chaos in the Roman Empire ruled city. Under siege, Hypatia and her disciples fight to save the ancient wisdom held inside the city’s famous library. Oscar Isaac (Balibo) and Max Minghella (soon to be starring in David Fincher’s The Social Network) play the men competing for Hypatia’s love. The highest grossing film in Spain for 2009, Agora won six Goyas (Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars) including best original screenplay and best cinematography.
Case 11.227 Colombia/ La Historia que no Contaron (Azoye O’Shanahan, 2009) Columbia
Documentary filmmaker Azoye O’Shanahan follows Erika Antequera as she returns to Columbia, 20 years after the murder of her father, José Antequera, to find out the hidden reasons for his death. José Antequera, the Unión Patriótica (UP, leftist Columbian Political Party) leader was killed on 3rd March 1989 in Bogota. The filmmakers’ research shows how many murders of UP members remain unrecognised, leaving a mark on the record of Columbia’s, the oldest democracy in Latin-American, history. The title, Case 11.227, is the name given by the Inter American Court of Human Rights to the investigation into political state-sanctioned assassinations of UP members. This part of Columbia’s tragic recent history remains unresolved, with figures for the number of murders still contested.
Bad Day to go Fishing/ Mal Día para Pescar (Álvaro Brechner, 2009) Uruguay/ Spain
This comedy/drama follows Jacob van Oppen (Jouko Ahola), the former strongest man in the world, and his manager Orsini (Gary Piquer) as they travel small South American towns staging wrestling exhibitions and challenging the locals. Any challenger that can beat Oppen in a three-minute bout wins $1000. When Oppen and Orsini arrive in the small town of Santa Maria, the unusually enthusiastic welcome from the locals leads to trouble for the pair’s established set-up. This quirky film is a great insight into contemporary Uruguayan cinema.
Blank Canvas (Tim Slade, 2009) Australia
This documentary looks at the Sydney Dance Company as it tries to deal with the shock death of its new Artistic Director, Tanja Liedtke. In 2008 Liedtke was killed in a road accident, she was just about to take on her new role at the dance company, her predecessor, Graeme Murphy, had held the role of Artistic Director since 1976. As a result Noel Staunton, Chief Executive of the company, engaged three internationally renowned choreographers to create one work each for 2008, starting off from a blank canvas. These guests choreographers were Aszure Barton, Meryl Tankard and Spaniard Rafael Bonachela, who went on to be named the company’s Artistic Director at the end of 2008. This English language film is narrated by Kerry Armstrong (Lantana, Oyster Farmer).
