«Family comes first» is a phrase that everyone in Latin American culture has heard not once, not twice, but many times in their lives. It is a sort of mantra that encapsulates the strong bond between family members while also indicating the huge expectations. This programme seeks to scratch below the surface of this intricate bond, which can be incredibly powerful and at the same time extremely overwhelming and challenging.
Honorata Vilca, an illiterate woman of Quechua descent, lives in the Peruvian highlands with her dog and sells sweets. As the rainy season begins, she recounts passages from her life, until one afternoon something fatal happens that seems to make heaven cry.
Jesús lives on the shore of a large lake with his father. José, his older brother, has returned home, carrying with him a criminal past. One morning, Jesús accompanies him in search of a job that would help restore his reputation.
Long-Legged Nuria Frank Vera Jiménez / Ecuador 2019 / 18'15" / DCP / colour / Spanish / Fic
The elephant woman is gone. Berenice is her name. The only thing that is known about her is that she is looking for a hen. Among the things that she has left behind in her crazy quest is Nuria, that long-legged daughter of hers. Wherever she goes, Nuria follows her and lures her back with one of her fascinating tales. What would happen if those wild stories could no longer hold her mother’s stares? What would happen if not even her tales could delay the ominous stroll of death?
Just when he is trying to build a relationship with his daughter, whom he barely knows, a zookeeper suffers a serious traffic accident. At the same time, on the other side of the world, a man experiencing episodes of sleep paralysis writes an e-mail to break a long family silence.
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
Family Comes First
Family comes first – la familia es lo primero – is a phrase that everyone in Latin American culture has heard not once, not twice but many times in their lives. It is a sort of mantra that encapsulates the strong bond between family members while also indicating the huge expectations. Family represents support, care, a constant presence, and unconditional love. It is meant to provide stability and a sense of home. The four films in this programme seek to scratch below the surface of this intricate bond, which can be incredibly powerful yet at the same time extremely overwhelming and challenging.
«Mother Rain» is a story about embracing origins: entirely narrated and spoken in Quechua, it follows the life of the filmmaker’s mother, portraying her struggles, her wisdom, and her strength. «Amphibian» features a family of three but focuses on the relationship between the two brothers. Feelings of disappointment and resentment come to the surface. «Long-Legged Nuria» centres on a mother-daughter relationship, dealing with death and loss and how they are processed through the unconscious. Finally, «(No Subject)» shows the long-lasting repercussions of family trauma. Two stories interlace, the past holds the key to the present, to redemption and healing. A father and daughter reconnect, while another man reminisces about the bond with his estranged sister.
These are stories of affection, stories that portray the whole spectrum of feelings that exist within families. Experiences are narrated with compassion, with care, and especially with truth. Family is not romanticized, and there is no pretence of perfection. Instead, families are embraced as they are: flawed, convoluted – yet beautiful.
The programme of the 28th Kurzfilmtage will be released on 16 October 2024.
Short Films
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.
The Festival
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.
