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Cinemaztlán: Mexican Filmfestival

Cinemaztlán, a De Balie Cinema and Filmmuseum joint festival, will feature more than 20 landmark Mexican films. Mexico is a unique country of contrasts and mixtures that lives between tradition and modernity, plugged in into the new century while still preserving its roots.
For these reasons, the program will include an important retrospective of alternative films made during the 60's and 70's and a group of outstanding contemporary films related to the change of the country. The first film cycle has underground works that questioned social models. The second cycle -which includes features, short films and animation- gathers a unique selection of relevant and progressive Mexican works mostly done between 1999-2004. The program includes several award winning films that have never been shown in Holland. CINEMAZTLÁN: Mexican Film Festival All films are Spanish spoken, English subtitledCinema de Balie Do 15, 20:00, kleine zaal UN MUNDO RARO Armando Casas, 2001, 35mm, 100', color Salvador is held up in a taxi by Pancho and Emilio, two brothers who lead a small gang of thieves. Emilio realizes that his victim is a famous comedian and television host known as Tolín, and his attitude toward Salvador changes. He begins to treat him with special deference. The gang kidnaps the comedian and Emilio, behind his brother's back, manages to confess his admiration for him, and his own desire to become a professional comedian. vooraf AZAR (Chance) Oliver Castro, 2000, 35mm, 5', black & white Chaos-theory, life in itself, or fate? At one point anything can happen.Vr 16, 20:00, grote zaal CUENTO DE HADAS PARA DORMIR COCODRILOS Ignacio Ortiz, 2001, 35mm, 100', color This is the story of a man who suffers insomnia and whose son is autistic. He wants to solve all his problems, but in order to doing so, he has to look for the origins of them into the family history. This last one is totally intertwined with some important historical events of Mexico, such as the War of Reformation, the Mexican Revolution, the emigration to the USA, and modern Mexican life. vooraf EL OCTAVIO DÍA LA CREACION Juan Jose Medina & Rita Basulto, 2000, 35mm, 10', color, animation Metaphysical story about the creation of an ideal being.Za 17, 20:00, grote zaal NOTICIAS LEJANAS Ricardo Benet & Martín Boege, 2004, 35mm, 120', color A young man tells the story of his older brother who trying to save their mother and himself committed a crime. So, he runs away from the law and migrated to the United States. Before leaving he made them a promise, he would return to save them from their poor existence. First long feature film of Ricardo Benet's, this film won a student contest to produce it. vooraf EL HÉROE Carlos Carrera, 1994, 35mm, 5', color A common man becomes an incidental ill-fated hero when attempts to save a suicidal girl.Zo 18, 20:00, kleine zaal BAJO CALIFORNIA: EL LÍMITE DEL TIEMPO (Bajo California: The limit of time) Carlos Bolado, 1999, 35mm, 96', color Demián Ojeda, a successful Mexican-American artist, gets involved in a very tragic accident. This experience makes him ask himself who he is, what are his origins in Mexico, and what is the main purpose of his life. He begins a trip depth into his roots and along the way finds some very enigmatic people, such as his guide, who knows more than it appears. Beautiful road movie that includes some scenes filmed in quite impressive landscapes. vooraf EL VIAJE, (the Trip) Gabriela Monroy, 2004, 35mm, 10', color A trip taken by a man and his autistic son on the Mexico City Underground.Ma 19, 20.00, kleine zaal Shorts 1, 73' AZAR (Chance) Oliver Castro, 2000, 35mm, 5', black & white Chaos-theory, life in itself, or fate? At one point anything can happen. MI HERMANO (Brother) Jorge Michel, 2004, 35mm, 9', color A very common lad, Oseas, wants to set himself apart from the rest of his friends, so he lies. But his lying could put his younger brother at risk. LOS MARAVILLOSOS OLORES DE LA VIDA (The Wonderful Scent of Life) Jaime Ruiz Ibánez, 2000, 35mm, 25', color Based on a short story by police and political novelist Mexican Paco Ignacio Taibo II. A corrupt narcotics agent wants to be in control of his own destiny. ROGELIO (Roger) Guillermo Arriaga, 2000, 35mm, 5', color Life never really ends. JUEGO DE MANOS (Hands Game) Alejandro Andrade Pease, 2002, 35mm, 19', color A young man, Agustín, enjoys life without any particular concern; but all this suddenly changes when he experiences a mystical apparition. EL VIAJE (The trip) Gabriela Monroy, 2004, 35mm, 10', color A trip taken by a man and his autistic son on the Mexico City Underground.Di 20, 20:00, kleine zaal Animation, 65' EL HÉROE (The Heroe) Carlos Carrera, 1993, 35mm, 5', color A common man becomes an incidental ill-fated hero when attempts to save a suicidal girl. 4 MANERAS DE TAPAR UN HOYO (4 ways to cover a hole) Jorge Villabos & Guillermo Rendón, 1995, 35mm, 9', color A hole can be considered from 4 different points of view, and also the ways to cover it up. DESDE ADENTRO (From the inside) Dominique Jonard, 1996, 35mm, 10', color A very creative form to approach to the crude reality faced by youngsters who live in a social condition of abandonment and exclusion. PRONTO SALDREMOS DEL PROBLEMA (Our Troubles Will Soon Be Over) Jorge Ramírez-Suárez, 1998, 35mm, 5', color A metaphor of the Mexican economical crisis. A man and a fly engage in a duel to the death. SIN SOSTÉN (No Support) Rene Castillo & Antonio Urrutia, 1998, 35mm, 5', color The enchantments of the advertising world rescue a sad and suicidal ordinary man. EL MURO (The Wall ) Sergio Arau,1998, 35mm, 6', color A stripped dressed man finds a wall. His aim is to overcome this obstacle at any cost. EL OCTAVO DÍA (The Eight Day ) Juan José Medina & Rita Basulto, 2000, 35mm, 15', color Metaphysical story about the creation of an ideal being. HASTA LOS HUESOS (Down to the Bone ) René Castillo, 2001, 35mm, 11', color A journey into the Mexican vision and celebration of live and death. Based on the famous drawings and etches of José G. Posada who created the iconic Mexican figure of "La Catrina". At the end of the day being dead would not be so bad. Wo 21, 20:00, kleine zaal Shorts 2, 85' OMBLIGO (Belly button) Carlos Gonzáles, 2000, 16mm, 30', black & white, fiction After living a terrible experience, Pedro tries to go on with his life. Though the nightmare has not yet been completely over. DE MESMER CON AMOR O TÉ PARA DOS (From Mesmer with Love or Tea for Two) Salvador Aguirre & Alejandro Lubezki, 2002, 35mm, 9', color Based on a psychoanalytical story. Yearning for the complete fulfilment of his wishes, a young man choose to use quite extravagant methods. ¿Y CÓMO ES ÉL? (And how is he?) Issa García-Ascot Ogarrio, 1998-2000, 35mm, 28', color A point of view over how current young people think about love, friendship, solidarity, and lack of affection. EL OTRO SUEÑO AMERICANO (The other american dream) Enrique Arroyo, 2004, 35mm, 10', color At Mexico's northern border, Sandra, a teenager full of dreams, wants to see them come true by crossing to the United States. But the cruel reality prove her otherwise. "M" Everardo Gout, 2004, 35mm, 8', color M has being training boxing all of her life. Outside she is a beautiful woman but her imagination is inhabited with a surreal world of demons and angels battling for survival, reflecting the strength and courage of women to succeed in their lives. The visual proposal represents the fusion of Mexican culture and the arts in comics and Manga animation.Do 22, 20:00, kleine zaal SIN DEJAR HUELLA (Without a trace) Maria Novaro, 2001, 35mm, 120', color A vivid story of two different women whose destiny brings together in their search for freedom and a better life. They will start at the northern border of Mexico, towards the southern Maya border; so both women, Ana and Aurelia, will cover more than 4 000 km of land. This journey will involve some adventures, and a mixture of landscapes and various kinds of music that shows the complexity of Mexico. vooraf DE MESMER CON AMOR O TÉ PARA DOS (From Mesmer with Love or Tea for Two) Salvador Aguirre & Alejandro Lubezki, 2002, 35mm, 9', color Based on a psychoanalytical story. Yearning for the complete fulfilment of his wishes, a young man choose to use quite extravagant methods.Do 22, 22:00, kleine zaal Shorts 1 zie ma 19, 20:00Vr 23, 20:00, grote zaal PERFUME DE VIOLETAS, NADIE TE OYE Marisa Sistach, 2000, 35mm, 90', color Violet perfume is the true story of Yessica and Miriam, Mexico City adolescents who begin a close friendship at a secondary school. They share notebooks, games, likes, makeup and perfumes, until Jorge and el Topi, violent accomplices, kidnap Yessica. The indifference and selfishness of the adults break up their friendship and push them toward a tragedy. vooraf MI HERMANO (Brother) Jorge Michel, 2004, 35mm, 9', color A very common lad, Oseas, wants to set himself apart from the rest of his friends, so he lies. But his lying could put his younger brother at risk.Vr 23, 22:00, grote zaal Animation zie di 20, 20:00Za 24, 20:00, grote zaal LA CANCIÓN DEL PULQUE Everardo Gonzáles, 2004, 35mm, 60', color A homage to pulque, a very traditional alcoholic beverage made from a big Mexican cactus (called Maguey), with no relation to the well-known tequila. This documentary depicts the poor people who drinks it and pays tribute to some kind of folk and popular songs, called "rancheras". vooraf ROGELIO Guillermo Arriaga, 2000, 35mm, 5', color Life never really ends.Za 24, 22:00, grote zaal Shorts 2 zie wo 21, 20:00Zo 25, 20:00, grote of kleine zaal EL MAGO Jaime Aparicio, 2004, 35mm, 98', color A poor street magician suffers from severe illness; before dying he wants to make up with his past. He looks for forgiveness, solidarity, and reconciliation. But, at the end, while doing his last magical performance the meaning of his last days will undergo a whole transformation. vooraf "M" Everardo Gout, 2004, 35mm, 8', color M has being training boxing all of her life. Outside she is a beautiful woman but her imagination is inhabited with a surreal world of demons and angels battling for survival, reflecting the strength and courage of women to succeed in their lives. The visual roposal represents the fusion of Mexican culture and the arts in comics and Manga animation.

Cinemaztlán: Mexican Filmfestival

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