Noticias

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Mexico, first guest of the Country in Focus program

Two Mexican filmmakers won at the Berlinale

February 18, 2017

In a year in which Mexico participated as the first guest of Country in Focus program of the European Film Market (EFM), national cinema now adds two more awards in the history of the Berlin International Film Festival.

On the one hand, the short filmmaker Esteban Arrangoiz was awarded the Silver Bear - Jury Prize for Best Short Film for Ensueño en la pradera (Daydream in the Prairie), a cinematographic essay in which the director portrays social issues such as migration and violence.

 While the documentary filmmaker Everardo González won the Amnesty International Award - given by an independent jury - thanks to his work La Libertad del Diablo (The freedon of the devil), which was part of the Berlinale Special selection, made up by contemporary directors’ works

The Secretary of Culture, Maria Cristina García Cepeda, celebrated through her Twitter account both Mexican filmmakers won these two awards at the Berlinale.

The head of cultural policy wrote: "Everardo Gonzalez's film The Freedom of the Devil won The @amnesty International Prize (@berlinale Special). Congratulations"

In a second twit she congratulated Arrangoiz’s recognition: "he has competed for two years in the @berlinaleshorts, today his originality and talent have deserved the #OsoDePlata. Congratulations to Esteban Arrangoiz ".

This short film, Arragoiz explained in an interview, "through potential stories helps to reflect on the situation of violence that is lived in Mexico for reasons of extortion and helps to reflect on the power structures that should attack these problems”.

This is the second time that the graduate of the University Center of Cinematographic Studies (CUEC-UNAM), competes in the Berlinale. In 2016 he participated with the short film El buzo (The diver), supported in its postproduction by the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (Imcine, for its acronym in Spanish).

On the other hand, the documentalist Everardo Gonzalez said that for the making of The Freedom of the devil, "I researched on the assassination, the voices of the federal police, the army and the victims like the families of the disappeared and the victims of torture, who do a reflection on fear, hate, the possibilities of forgiveness and revenge”.

This documentary feature, produced by the companies Animal de Luz Films and Artegios, had Mexico City, Chihuahua, Hidalgo, Puebla and El Paso, Texas as locations. Its premiere in our country will take place at the next edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG, for its acronym in Spanish).

Mexico was the focus of the Berlinale for 10 days within the different areas: the competitive and exhibition sections, the industry activities of the EMF and as members of the jury. It was an unprecedented participation in the history of the prestigious German gathering.

For more information on both productions, please visit: www.imcine.gob.mx

Mexico,Distrito Federal