Venue : Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai Date : 06th to 08th, August 2018
Schedule
1. Muerte en alto contraste | Death in High Contrast | Dir.: César Bolívar | Venezuela | 2010 | 104 min | 6 Aug 2018 | 6:00 pm
Gabriel, agent of a tactical police group, has decided to take justice into his own hands to avenge the death of his parents. He obtains the help of Pepe Grillo, a journalist with a knack of locating criminals. Together, they follow the massacre trail and Gabriel is forced to confront the killers, putting at risk not only his life, but also the life of Raquel, the woman with whom he could share a new path. Wins: 1
2. Amaneció de golpe | It Dawned Suddenly | Dir.: Carlos Azpúrua | Venezuela | 1998 | 100 min | 7 Aug 2018 | 6:00 pm
The film follows the events of the night of February 4, 1992 in Caracas, Venezuela. That night a group of military rebels staged a coup d’etat. Venezuelans found themselves as virtual prisoners. As the coup starts and fighting takes place from a military base which is in the center of the city’s most affluent areas, with both luxury high rises and palatial mansions. The area of La Carlota provides a wealth of very interesting, often flamboyant and typical characters of the Latin America upper middle and upper classes. They are among the most affected. Various vignettes in these different characters’ homes are developed. These people’s reactions, lifestyles, vices, and humanity come out in a very honest fashion under duress. There are often clashes between them and the military invading the area. The media, particularly TV and radio insist everything is under control, but the residents around La Carlota see a very different reality, right through daybreak (Amanecer) the following morning. Wins: 2, Nominations: 2
3. El chico que miente | The Kid Who Lies | Dir.: Marité Ugas | Venezuela | 2011 | 100 min | 7 Aug 2018 | 7:45 pm
A 13-year old KID leaves his home and starts a journey along the Venezuelan coast. In order to survive, he captivates people by telling them anecdotes from the Mudslide Tragedy. Sometimes he is rescued by his mother, who sacrifices herself to save him; some other times it’s his father who dies. These stories, however, reveal some of the truth, and his past becomes clearer. Ten years ago, a mudslide tore his world apart. Many disappeared, his mother among them. Now the memories, carefully threaded by his father, contradict each other and push him to search for his own story. He has a difficult road ahead of him, where he will also find his own universe of affections and feelings. While crossing the desert, the KID doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but the crack in his soul is starting to heal. Wins: 1
4. Días de poder | Days of Power / Dir.: Román Chalbaud | Venezuela | 2011 | 110 min | 8 Aug 2018 | 6:00 pm
Days of Power is the reflection of the Caracas society of the 60s, times of struggle and transformations. After the fall of the Perezjimenist dictatorship, repressive of the youth who opposed it, Fernando Quintero, a revolutionary leader, ascends to the institutional power, thus betraying his ideals to become an accomplice to the repression that he had previously fought. His son Efraín, heir of his old convictions, feels involved, generating contradictions that make him an active adversary of the government and of his own father, unleashing a tormented and instructive end.
5. Memorias de un soldado | Memories of a Soldier | Dir.: Caupolican Ovalles | Venezuela | 2011 | 93 min | 8 Aug 2018 | 7:55 pm
At a time when war, chaos and death reign over every last inch of Venezuela, a soldier and a brave young woman manage to make a space for love, despite their apparently conflicting ideals. After several years of a harsh and bloody war, Braulio, a pro-Independence soldier is enlisted into the Spanish army. During the 1820 ceasefire Braulio arrives in Caracas, where he meets Lucía, a beautiful young woman that he falls madly in love with the very first time he sees her. For Lucía, Braulio will overcome every obstacle that is put in their way. Braulio and Lucías lives are inextricably intertwined: fate brings them together, but also separates them. As well as a soldier and a fighter, Braulio is a simple man who is trying to find happiness in the midst of the cruel situations life is putting him through. Despite being so young, Lucía is a mature and serious girl who has taken on the responsibility of her house and family. This young girl will be captivated by the personality of the soldier who will come to play a key part in her life. Wins: 1
Venue : Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai Date : 06th to 08th, August 2018
