Mexico: Director, Social Critic Gaviria Trains Young Filmmakers

The groundbreaking, award-winning Colombian director Victor Gaviria will be visiting Mexico to teach young amateur filmmakers to work in a contemporary environment with ‘natural’ non-professional actors.

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World-renowned for his contemporary films and artful social commentary on modern life in Latin America, Gaviria will participate in an early December cinematography program offered at the Escuela Superior de Cine (ESCINE).

The program will allow aspiring Latin American filmmakers to learn from talented directors from across the continent.

With his extensive experience with amateur actors as demonstrated in his second film, The Rose Seller- a poignant film on the life and situation of street children, the Colombian director plans to share with students the intricacies and difficulties encountered from the script, collaboration, and staging which will help create a more realistic piece.

At the close of the seminar, Gaviria’s newest film, ‘La Mujer del Animal’ will be shown for the first time in Mexico. The film, which won the Silver Biznaga Award for Best Director at the Malaga Film Festival tells the story of a woman who is raped and mistreated by her kidnapper. The film illustrates what Gaviria describes as the “indifference and silence of society’ in the face of sexual crimes.

Gaviria tackles difficult themes touching on violence, marginalization, misery, refugees, human trafficking, child labor, drug trafficking, and gender violence.

The work of Gaviria is celebrated around the world and won him numerous prestigious awards such as the Underground Super 8 film Competition, the Owl Prize of Colcultura, Ariel for Best Ibero-American Film, Toulouse Latin American Film Festival, as well as allowed him to participate in the National Selection Official of the San Sebastian Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Cannes.