If you are a movie-lover, then keep your eyes peeled - as you’re certainly in for a treat for something new and fresh this weekend, compared to the usual Hollywood and Bollywood options in the cinemas.
The yearly Keppel Latin American Film Festival (KLAFF) is here in Singapore for the 5th time running! The festival has its humble beginnings in 2011, when the world’s largest offshore and marine group, Keppel Offshore & Marine, was encouraged by the drive to promote and learn about other cultures, thus bringing the best of Latin American cinemas to Singapore.
This festival is hosted by the resident embassies in Singapore of Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and other Latin American countries. This year, it will showcase a bunch of 11 new Latin American films. These films, of which all have won nominations in various international film festivals in Gramado, Brazil and Bogota, Colombia, will be screened this weekend from 17th to 20th November at Suntec City.
Don’t worry if 11 films sound too overwhelming, we’re here to help! The GoBeyond team has got your back as we’ve narrowed down and compiled a list of 5 award-winning films that you should not miss.
1. Habanastation
This fantasy/drama film has already clinched four awards, namely, the Audience Award at the Lima Latin American Festival 2012, Best Feature Film in TIFF Kids Film Festival 2012, Best First Work & Supporting Actresses in Premios ACE 2013.
Directed by Ian Padron, Habanastation is meant to be a thought-provoking movie that addresses social inequality in Cuba and the possible effects it had on interactions between Cuban children. The movie depicts the lives of two Cuban boys – Compinche Del Nato, who is fortunate enough to go to school, and Mayito, who runs around the slums during his free time. At the same age, both boys are put to a test to see if they could live harmoniously and build strong friendships with one another despite their social background.
If you’re a fan of horror/mystery movies then this one’s for you! The House at the End of the Time is the first horror story to be filmed in Venezuela, and was awarded “Best Feature Film” at the Filmquest 2015 and “Festival trophy for best picture and director” at Screamfest 2014.
Even though it’s the first time that a horror story is filmed in Venezuela, The House at the End of the Time definitely isn’t lacking behind in terms of its fear factor and creepy-looking setting. This hair-raising horror film features a family setting in a haunted house. Dulce is a caring young mother of two who often tries her best to make her children feel safe in the house. One unfortunate night however, she experienced a strange encounter with a “presence” in her house, the lights went dim, the candles went out, and everything was pitch black. Shortly after the incident, Dulce found herself convicted of murder.
30 years since then, watch as how she unravels the truth by revisiting the house with a Priest.
Go back in time with The Story of Artigas. This historical drama from Uruguay is directed by Ce’sar Charlone, who won the Audience Award under the Latin America film competition in Gramado Film Festival in 2012. In addition, for the cinematography of the movie, she was awarded “Best Film and Director” in the Golden Kikito Award and received a special mention at the Kikito Critics prize.
The Story of Artigas La Redota – Una Historia de Artigas (The story of Artigas) will take you back to the 1880s to witness the story of Jose Artigas, the national hero of Uruguay. To honor his death, Juan Manuel Blanes, a famous Uruguayan painter, was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jose Artigas. Though he has never seen Jose before, Juan was tasked to envision how Jose looks like, based on the notes of Guzman Larra, a Spanish spy who tried to assassinate Jose in the 70s. Watch how Juan develops the painting of Jose’s portrait from what’s left behind.
Los Viajes del Viento (The Wind Journeys) is a Colombian film that has won 7 awards namely: Best Colombian Film in Bogota Film Festival 2009, and Award of the city of Rome in Cannes Film festival during the same year. In 2010, this movie won Colombian cinema award for best film & director and best film award in Cartagena film festival.
The Wind Journeys features Ignacio Carrillo, a Vallenato musician’s journey to return the Accordion (a musical instrument popular in Colombian music) to his old former master. Ignacio had stopped playing the Accordion since the passing of his wife. However, little did he know that the Accordion has been cursed by the previous owner, who won a duel with the devil. Hearing news about Ignacio’s journey, a worried, aspiring juglar decides to follow him along in the long and tiring journey through the towns to get to La Guajira Desert, where his owner supposedly lived.
We saved the best for last, but be advised that this movie is rated R21. Directed by Daniel Ribeiro from Mexico, “The Way He Looks” is not your typical romance movie, but it has clinched an astounding number of 23 award wins mainly for its plot, and scored an 8/10 rating by IMDB, which makes it on our must-watch list.
You might be wondering what the film is about, since it won many awards for its plot. Many love stories have the typical “love at first sight” scenario but this movie is definitely not the case. The Way He Looks features a blind teen named Leonardo, who often spends his time in school with his girl best friend, Giovanna. However, with the arrival of Gabriel, the new kid in school, it was no longer the case. Leonardo realises that Giovanna had developed a crush on Gabriel, and finds himself spending more time with the both of them. Soon, the three of them begin hanging out together. Through his encounters with Gabriel, Leonardo starts to “see” the world in a different light. Watch on to find out if the friendship between them will start to blossom into something new.
From love to horror stories, the Latin American cinema certainly has a wide range of films. With its growing popularity, we’re stoked to find out more about what they have to offer. Join us and catch the Keppel Latin America Film Festival 2016 (KLAFF) at Suntec City Golden Village, from 17 – 20November 2016. Admission is free, and tickets will be given out at the ticket counter half an hour before showtime.
