From Caribbean News Digital

“Mujeres de la mina”(Mine Women), a co-production by Argentina and Bolivia, won the Grand Award during the 14th Santiago Alvarez in Memoriam International Documentary Festival, held in this city.

The prizewinning full-length film was presented by producers and scriptwriters Malena Bystrowicz and Loreley Unamuno, Martin Mendez was in charge of the sound track, photography by Unamuno and Bystrowicz’s edition.

In 62 minutes the movie paints a portrait of three women that live and work at the mines of Cerro Rico, in Potosí, Bolivia, a symbol of colonial plundering; and sheds light on their story of fight and resistance.

The other Grand Award, in the short and medium-length movie category, was given to “Una casa para Bernarda Alba”, from Spain, with production and script by Lidia Peralta García, sound track by Irene del Riu, David Raya; photography by Germán Nieto Maeso and Tania Ouarachi.

In only 50 minutes, the producers show eight gypsy women that live at El Vacie neighborhood in Seville, who have become famous due to the play entitled La casa de Bernarda Alba, by Federico García Lorca. Have their lives changed? How is the path between marginalization and popularity? The work is an unusual story of self-improvement and adventures.

The winner of the Festival’s Special Award, named “500 Years of the Foundation of Santiago de Cuba”, was handpicked out of eight documentaries from Chile, Cuba and Spain. It was handed to Chilean Roberto Aschieri, its producer, scriptwriter and photographer, who was also in charge of the production and edition along with Francisco Roka, sound track by Chucho Valdes and Ingrid Ícense.

The 18-minute-long film reflects on the screen the work of poet Jose Marti, with the voice of Chilean actress Ingrid Incensse, as Santiago de Cuba city is shown from the point of view of a butterfly and the testimony of a taxi driver.

Special Award “500 Aniversario…” was given by the jury made up of: Lazara Herrera, Angel Piedra and Juan Carlos Travieso.

Also in the feature film category, the 1st award went to Venezuelan “Cecilia y las muchachas”, 2nd to Argentina’s “La cáscara rota” and 3rd to “Hay un grupo que dice”, by Cuban Lourdes Prieto. The Special Award in this category was delivered to “Nicaragua… el sueño de una generación”, by Roberto Persano, Santiago Nacif and Daniel Burak, from Argentina. And “Mujeres de la mina” won the award given by the International Movie and TV School (EICTV is the Spanish acronym).

The other awards delivered in the feature film category were: script for “La cáscara rota”, by Argentinean Florencia Mujica; sound track (shared): “Noel Rosa, poeta da vida e do povo”, by Brazilian Dacio Malta, and “Los Zafiros, música desde el borde del tiempo”, by Lorenzo Destefano, from USA; photography: “Mujeres de la mina”, from Argentina-Bolivia; edition: “Cecilia y las muchachas”, by Venezuelan Alfredo Anzola and Gabriela Gonzalez; direction: “Mujeres de la mina”; young collective: “Cáscara rota”; opera prima: “Con una gota empieza el aguacero”, by David Escobar, from Colombia.

The winners in the short and medium-length film categories were: 1st award: “Cada cosa tiene una historia”, by Mexican Carolina Kerlow; 2nd award: “Martín Dihigo, el inmortal”, by Cuban Yodeni Maso Aguila; 3rd award: “La isla y los signos” by Raydel Arauz, Cuba-Ecuador. The Special Award went to “Viaje al país que ya no existe”, by Cuban Isabel Santos Tellez. Edition: “En tierra de vaqueros”, by Oliver Rendon, Mexico. Sound track: “Nostalgia de trovadoras”, by Alberto Santos Casas, Cuba. Photography: “Musawat”, by Darwin Diko Cañas, Venezuela-Arabic Saharan Republic. Script: “Reembarque”, by Gloria Rolando Casamayor, Cuba. Direction: “Manos propias”, by Alison J. McMahan, USA. Young Collective: “Causar alta”, by Sara Escobar, Mexico. Opera Prima: “Musawat”.

Projects delivered an honorific mention to “Punto de encuentro”, by Alfredo Garcia and Paulina Acosta, Chile, and the Award went to “Sobre nuestro compañero Roque Salton”, by Carla Valdes Leon, Cuba.

The 14th edition of the Documentary Festival also included an International Photography Contest, which delivered the first award to “El poder de la inocencia”, by Silvio Enrique Campos, Cuba; second award to “Casa atemporal”, by Mexican Fernando Oscar Martin and the third one went to “Ternura”, by Maria Selma Alfonso, Cuba. Mentions: first “Children Pakistan”, by Joe Guerreiro, USA; second “Paz”, by Fernando Eduardo Medina, Cuba, and third “Una flor para la paz”, by Alejandra Alvarez, Mexico. The six-day Festival was dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the foundation of Santiago de Cuba village, and Mexico, as guest country.

Likewise, on March 7 – 10, the event held a theoretical space at Rialto Movie Theater, with numerous presentations and conferences on documentary movies in the contemporary world, specifically Santiago Alvarez’s life and work.

Dolores Hall, movies theaters Rialto, Cuba and Capitolio, university halls, neighborhoods, Heredia Theater, and other institutions and cultural centers in Santiago de Cuba, hosted the “Santiago Alvarez in Memoriam” Festival.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbeannewsdigital.com/en/noticia/“mine-women”-grabs-top-accolade-documentary-film-festival