Latin Beat 2001 – Film Society of Lincoln Center @ Walter Reade Theatre In NYC.
July 21, 2001
Now in its third edition, Latin Beat! is the Film Society’s bi- annual survey of recent films from around Latin America. Recent years have witnessed the beginning of what some observers are calling a renaissance of filmmaking throughout the region, as evidenced by the international success of Brazil’s Central Station, Mexico’s Amores Perros, as well as a number of recent Argentine films.
Today’s Latin American cinema shows both the legacy of its historical development as well as a bold vision of a new future. Great emphasis has been placed on the creation of national, regional and international infrastructures that will ensure a sound economic base for film production, distribution and exhibition. Greater cooperation can also be seen in the increasing number of co-productions between Latin American nations or with Spain, Germany and even the U.S.
Although film production can be found throughout Latin America, the last few years have witnessed the return of the older, more established national cinemas of the traditional centers of Latin American film production: Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. The Argentine cinema, especially, has had extremely impressive resurgence; not only is contemporary Argentine film – celebrated earlier this year already at the Walter Reade – becoming an increasing presence at international film festivals, but in 2000 Argentine films commanded 20% of their own domestic market – a figure few European nations could match. Brazilian cinema, down in the single digits in the early ’90s, will reach at least 60 films this year, as many of the young filmmakers whose impressive short films provided one of the few bright spots in the past few years now move into feature film production.
Many, although by no means all, of the best Latin American films address societal problems and realities, yet in recent years there has been a wholesale re-definition of the “political” to include such subjects as women’s rights, ethnic or gender identity, and the confluence of issues and cultures that comprise Latin America. – Richard Peña
Latin Beat 2001! has been curated by Marcela Goglio, Cord Dueppe and Inés Aslan.
For featured fils CLICK below:
http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/programs/8-2001/latin/latin.htm#program
