SPECIAL MENTION
JURY STATEMENT:
JURY STATEMENT:
Film narration built with intentionally limited procedures. Static shots, narration in the text, and singing function in a simple and meditative way as a comforting tool. Throughout the film, we are faced with a barrier of dense and impassable vegetation. The sky is almost never seen. Human voices and flute sounds echo through the noise overpowering the birdsong. The serenity and harmony of the rain-soaked landscape dominates the film, making the human presence spectral and absorbing it into the all-encompassing reality of the forest. This is a film that would surely fit a big screen well.
AUTHOR CV
Ecuadorian director, screenwriter and producer. His debut documentary “La Tola Box” had its theatrical release on Ecuador’s main theaters and was screened at festivals such as Havana IFF, Mostra de Sao Paulo, EDOC and FILMAR (Switzerland). His first feature film “Sansón” was selected for the Amiens Writing Fund and the Produire au Sud lab at the 3 Continents Nante’s Film Festival, both in France; as well as in Ibermedia’s “Hero’s Journey” workshop, held in La Paz, Bolivia. The project won Ecuador National Film Institute’s Film Fund in Development and Production and Ibermedias Co-production Film Fund. It was also selected by Film In Progress (Ventana Sur), Bolivia Lab’s Finalization Lab, Malaga’s IFF WIP and FIC Viña’s WIP where it was awarded first prize. “Sansón” is currently finished and about to begin its distribution stage. Nowadays, he is developing the scripts for “I shall not speak of death”, winner of Ecuador’s National Film Fund in the Writing category; and the documentary essay “The Cougar’s Jaguar”. In 2021 he will direct the short film “The Sacred fire of the dead” as an exploration of the themes and aesthetics he plans to develop in “I shall not speak of death”. This short film was the winner of Ecuador’s National Fund as well. Pavel studied film at the National Film and Documentary School of Argentina at the Popular University of Mother’s of Plaza de Mayo. He also studied music, specializing in piano. In 2000 he won the International Poetry Award “Valentin Arteaga” from Spain. He often teaches in labs and workshops about screenwriting and directing in several countries and directs the Cosmonautalab. He is the conductor of “Tropical Framing” a radio show about Latin American film broadcasted in San Jose, Costa Rica.
SYNOPSIS
A furious and silent hurricane is about to reach a village in the Latin American tropical forest. A grandmother and her grandson are elected to travel and give themselves as offerings. Sacred songs and an arduous walk revive the hope of the commune to survive the natural disaster.
