Through a diverse selection of well-known classics and neglected works due for rediscovery, the two programmes Working the Land and Critical Contrasts present socially committed, independent documentary filmmaking from the Andean region. These films and videos cover a wide range of locations and situations: an international beauty pageant in Lima, an Argentine soup kitchen, a floating city on the Amazon, a series of Chilean film shoots, the verdant highland towns of Ecuador and Bolivia, and the barren outskirts of Bogotá.
After the screening, filmmakers and curators from this year’s Main Focus will discuss the history and significance of political and socially committed cinema from the Andean nations.
Soup Kitchens Gerardo Vallejo / Argentina 1968 / 6' / 16mm / black & white / no dialogue / Doc
Shot in the impoverished northern province of Tucumán in Argentina, this brief cine-tract shows the children and elderly people who are served by a community soup kitchen that exists independently of state support. The film's sequence of images, many shot in close-up, is accompanied by the Argentine national anthem on the soundtrack.
Radio Belén Gianfranco Annichini / Peru 1985 / 12' / 35mm / colour / Spanish / Doc
In the Amazonian port of Belén, in Iquitos, Peru, where all forms of work and leisure occur on platforms erected over the water, the local radio station broadcasts its programmes over public loudspeakers. Instead of sensationalizing the residents’ floating shanty town, the film draws attention to the small details of their daily practices and public culture.
A critique of the Miss Universe beauty pageant that was hosted by Peru in 1982, contrasting the global spectacle with a feminist portrait of local Peruvian women.
During the Pinochet dictatorship, between May 1984 and December 1985, the filmmaker Ignacio Agüero attended the production of five films in order to interview the filmmakers, asking them to describe their experiences and beliefs about filmmaking in Chile.
The Andes mountain range stretches from Argentina, where it serves as a natural border with Chile, up north through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, where it splits into three branches, one of which extends into Venezuela. The eight curated programmes presented here are the result of a comprehensive audiovisual enquiry into this vast territory. Los Estados Andinos seeks to offer a panorama of the political, social, cultural, and artistic scene of these seven nations, exploring the idiosyncrasies and traditions of each as well as their collective identity and common grounds.
The Latin American film industry, and specifically the film scene in the Andes nations, expanded according to each country’s economic capacity and willingness to invest. It has also been directly connected to social and political turmoil, both within the region and under the influence of external events. While cinema arrived around 1896 and slowly started to disseminate, it was only in the 1940s and 50s that some local productions started to bloom after each nation implemented laws promoting the film industry. Some countries stood out in this respect, Argentina chief amongst them. After World War II, and with the impact of the Cuban Revolution, a new cinematic culture awakened and quickly became politicized. During this period, filmmakers found inspiration in eclectic sources, mainly from abroad, which triggered a phase of exploration.
The 1960s and early 70s were pivotal: the new Latin American cinema movement, forged in a postcolonial environment and ignited by popular movements seeking cultural, political, and economic autonomy, brought a break with established filmmaking practice. The movement intended to reveal Latin American realities with their multiple contrasts and insisted on searching for the overlooked, placing entirely new themes centre stage, such as the collective memory of the excluded. It was a highly critical anti-establishment and anti-mainstream movement aimed at creating a cinema that ignites sociopolitical transformation. Beginning with a fruitful production of films in Argentina and Chile, the movement spread widely through the region to Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and beyond. At the same time, several national movements emerged, striving to develop an autochthonous cinema of auteur films.
The second half of the 1970s brought a decline in cinematic production in the region, along with the rise of dictatorships and a decrease in funds. Many filmmakers went into exile and continued to work from abroad. The 1980s were characterized by struggle, dependency on state support, and precarious channels of distribution. Since the 1990s, industries in the region have once again experienced significant growth and an undeniable creative wave, above all in Argentina, which is rightly seen as a powerhouse of film production, but also in Chile and Colombia. Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, in turn, are often overlooked, yet they are developing relevant bodies of work that shine a light on indigenous lives in contemporary times.
We are aware of the immense diversity that characterizes the region and of the individuality and particularity of each country. We don’t seek to homogenize or equalize their experiences by any means. Instead, with our selection, we want to feature the multiculturalism of these nations while at the same time portraying their shared experiences in recent and contemporary times. The programmes are not organized by nation; instead, they are thematically structured.
Three programmes explore the socio-political realities in the Andean nations. While two of them, Working the Land and Critical Contrasts, take a historical perspective, Andean Paradox focuses on the present and on a growing tendency to regain agency through action. The programme Tierra vital features a journey through landscapes that shape and condition cultural and identity practices and imaginaries. The sense of belonging is intertwined with the sense of place. Family Comes First, as the title suggests, addresses the importance of family relationships, the struggles and affection between family members. The queer experience and the exploration of bodily autonomy in the region is given a window in the programme Free Your Mind, Free Your Body. Finally, Stories of the Uncanny and Blurred Lines echo each other. The former uses animation as a medium to address difficult, strange, and seemingly dissimilar topics that attract and repel at the same time; the latter is inspired by magic realism, capturing the spirit of the supernatural encapsulated within the mundane. It is an evocative programme, an amalgamation of the real and the magical.
The Andes are a region of many facets. They come with a halo of mystery and mysticism. As a Colombian curator who lived in Europe for several years, I have a sense of the manifold associations of the term «Latin America». Many see us with the eyes of desire and yearning, others with great fear. There are those who observe us with interest and genuine curiosity, while others want to exploit our territories. We are also said to be incredibly open and warm, happy and loving people who welcome everyone with open arms and hearts. Our nations are usually associated with political and social instability, an assessment that is then contrasted with the beauty of our inhabitants and the majestic and varied landscapes of our countries. Despite the stereotypes and what we evoke in the world’s imagery, we surely are a pluricultural and multi-ethnic region that shares the same territory and colonial past and yet encompasses diverse countries with different political and socioeconomic realities and complexities.
Text: Mariana Bonilla Rojas Curated by Mariana Bonilla Rojas, John Canciani, Laura Walde, Federico Windhausen
Critical Contrasts
These selections of historic documentaries from the Andean region provide a survey of four decades of independent filmmaking carried out under challenging conditions of various kinds – economic, environmental, political, and institutional. All the films were motivated, at least in part, by an urgent need to intervene in the norms of representation within each country (and perhaps also the region as a whole).
Working the Land spotlights documentaries in which the terrain inhabited by the protagonists is an important aspect of local identity. Equally important to these films is how they evoke a sense of the poor being caught within larger structures and forces that impact both their relation to their natural environment and their ability to survive. The programme begins in Colombia with one of the most influential Latin American films about labour and the land; it continues with a rarely seen treatment of ecological issues among the indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Andes, made by one of that country’s pioneering female filmmakers; and it concludes in another section of the Andean highlands, among Bolivian indigenous people who have taken up video as a form of self-presentation and a call to dialogue and action.
If the films in the first programme present fairly straightforward and explicit exposés of important social issues within the small communities they depict, the films in the second programme, Critical Contrasts, take a different approach. These shorts develop their own approach to political commentary and critique, often through montage-based strategies of ironic juxtaposition. Central to the films here is the idea that an on-the-ground perspective can serve to undo and dismantle some of the mass-media spectacles, myths, and fantasies of the nation state. The films’ effects of irony and thought-provoking contrast exemplify the independent filmmakers’ critical attitude towards audiovisual editing and its possible effects.
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur is Switzerland’s major short film festival. For six days every November, we transform the city into a dynamic short film hub.
Kurzfilmtage offers discoveries for everyone: our thoughtfully compiled thematic programmes address current events or topics that our curators are passionate about. The competition programmes showcase the latest filmmaking from around the globe, while installations, performances, and other specials highlight the diversity of audiovisual forms. And a programme of special events including concerts, readings, and more enhance the festival experience.
A short film is not just a shorter film. Shorts are a distinct art form, which we showcase at our annual festival.
Short films come in all shapes and genres, and how long – or short – they are, varies quite a bit. Simpler production processes allow filmmakers to capture the zeitgeist and quickly respond to trends. Shorts can be entertaining or surprising, they can analyse society, take a political stance, or offer glimpses of worlds unknown to us.
We compile our short films into thematic programmes or specific sections, such as our competitions, paying close attention to the selection and sequence of films in each programme. All you need to enjoy short films is an open mind for new discoveries and surprises.
Competitions
Recent short films from around the world. The best shorts will be presented with awards on Sunday evening.
Hors Concours
Recent short films from Zurich, Switzerland, and around the world screened out of competition.
Main Focus
Films that explore a region, a social phenomenon, or an artistic trend.
Country in Focus
The cinema of a country from contemporary and historical perspectives.
Person in Focus
A spotlight on the work of a filmmaker.
Special Programmes
Short film programmes dedicated to topics that our curators are passionate about – or that are simply fun.
Family Programmes
Short film fun for young viewers aged 6+ and for the whole family.
Expanded Cinema
Installations, performances, and exhibitions present the medium of film in unfamiliar forms.
Special Events
Concerts, parties, readings, and many other events enhance the festival experience.
Talks & Panels
Moderated talks and panels after the screenings offer additional context and insight into films and themes.
Industry Events
A wide range of educational events and networking opportunities.
