Film Cycle celebrates Spanish female filmmakers at Instituto Cervantes
MANILA, Philippines - While men continue to dominate filmmaking on the world stage, several critics have noted that this is slowly changing with many women emerging as promising female directors.
Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the Spanish cultural center, presents a special nine-film line-up that showcases the achievements of contemporary female filmmakers who have established themselves as an important force in Spain’s screen culture.
Titled “Spanish Female Filmmakers,” this film cycle for the whole month of March highlights the works of Goya Award winners Isabel Coixet and Gracia Querejeta, as well as actress-turned-directors Icíar Bollaín and Patricia Ferreira.
The film cycle, in Spanish with English subtitles, opens March 4, 7 p.m., at Instituto Cervantes’ Salon de Actos with Tapologo, a full-length documentary directed by Gabriella and Sally Gutierrez Dewar. This film chronicles a handful of the 20,000 displaced African refugees in a squatter camp called Freedom Park where 50 percent of the women are infected with HIV.
Henceforth, all screenings will be on Saturday at 4 and 6 p.m.
Mataharis Screening on March 5, 4 pm, is Cosas que nunca te dije (Things I Never Told You), an insightful comedy about two young people struggling with the meaning of love and death in the 21st century. It will be followed at 6 p.m. with La vida secreta de las palabras (The Secret Life of Words), which follows the story of a hearing impaired factory worker who gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig.
On March 12, 4 pm, Querejeta’s Héctor will be shown while her 2007 film Siete mesas de billar francés (Seven Billiard Tables) screens at 6 p.m.
Spanish director Bollain tackles the harsh reality of domestic violence in Spain in her gritty drama Te doy mis ojos (Take My Eyes) showing on March 19, 4 pm. It will be followed afterwards with the screening of Mataharis, which narrates the story of three female private detectives who uncover truths about themselves.
The film cycle concludes on March 26 with the showing of the 2002 Argentinean thriller El alquimista impaciente (The Impatient Alchemist) at 4 p.m. and the 2005 drama Para que me olvides (Something to Remember Me By).
Spanish Female Filmmakers is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy in the Philippines, and Spanish Agency International Cooperation for Development (AECID).
Tapalogo Spanish directors Gabriella and Sally Gutierrez Dewar will grace the Philippine premier of their film Tapologo on Friday. Admission to all the screenings is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, call 5261482 or visit http://manila.cervantes.es Instituto Cervantes de Manila is at 855 T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila.
