“Víctor Gaviria: reality, restlessness and beauty”, is the name of the tribute paid to the Colombian filmmaker, a retrospective organized by Trilce Cinema of Colombia, the Mexican Film School and the Bogotá Cinematheque.
With a multiple agenda of a cinematographic, artistic, academic and cultural nature, this recognition of this important filmmaker, writer and cultural manager, considered one of the most relevant personalities of the country’s culture, is held until July 11.
“I am aware that my cinema is annoying. They criticize me because I only show the bad side of society,” says the filmmaker.
This retrospective will take place in several important cultural and academic venues in the city, such as the Bogotá Cinematheque, the Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center, La Salle University and the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce – Chapinero Headquarters, within the framework of the Bogotá Audiovisual Market – BAM, among others.
There will also be the launch and presentation of two books (one about his cinematographic work and the other a poetic anthology), talks, conferences, an exhibition of posters and photographs, and the “Cinema de Realidad” seminar, which will take place at the University of La Salle, Chapinero headquarters, and will consist of three face-to-face sessions in which Gaviria will share his experience as a director and screenwriter for more than forty years, covering topics such as his work methodology.
The book “Toda historia es de amor: antología poetica de Víctor Gaviria” will be presented, in which the filmmaker will give a recital and hold a discussion about his poetic work, in which the poets Yirama Cataño, Angelita Acero and Alejandra Fernández will participate.
Five feature films
The retrospective will be presented at the Bogotá Cinematheque and will include his five feature films: “Rodrigo D. no futuro” (1990), “Simón el mago” (1994), “La vendedora de rosas” (1998), “Sumas y subtractas” (2005) and “The woman of the animal (2016)”. In addition, 12 of his short and medium-length films, including “Buscando tréboles (1979-1980)”, “Los habitantes de la noche” (1983), “La vieja guardia” (1984), “Los músicos” (1986), ” I knock you down, you knock me down” (1991), “El paseo” (1992) and “An unforgettable old lady” (1995).
On July 5 at 5:00 pm, the meeting “Preservation and restoration of Víctor Gaviria’s films” will take place, in which Víctor Gaviria, Alexandra Falla Zerrate, director of the Colombian Film Heritage Foundation; Rito Alberto Torres, deputy technical director of the Colombian Film Heritage Foundation, and Jorge Mario Vera, director of photography and film restorer. Admission to this activity is free.
On the other hand, on July 8 at 4:00 pm there will be a conversation entitled “The look of the female marginal world in the cinema of Víctor Gaviria”, where women artists, creators, producers and managers will meet in an open dialogue , direct and honest on this subject, and in particular his look in the films “The seller of roses” and “The woman with the animal”. The guests are Daniela Moyes, screenwriter and teacher; Cristina Gallego, producer and director, and Yenny Chaverra, coordinator of the DACMI Memory and Circulation Group of the Colombian Ministry of Culture and coordinator of Retina Latina. Admission to this activity is free.
The beginning
Víctor Gaviria was born in 1955. He began as a filmmaker in 1979 with the short film “Buscando clover”, with which he won the Colcultura National Film Award. The following year he won this award again with the short film “La lupa del fin del mundo”.
His debut feature, “Rodrigo D. no futuro”, had its world premiere in the Official Section of the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, being the first Colombian film to be selected in this Festival category. That same year he won the Best Film award at the New York Latino Festival and the Glauber Rocha Award at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana, Cuba.
His second fiction feature film, “La vendedora de rosas” (1998), also premiered in the Official Section of the Cannes Film Festival and won awards at the Bratislava, Havana, Denver, Miami, Bogotá, and Lima film festivals. , Viña del Mar, Santa Cruz de Bolivia and San Juan de Puerto Rico. “Sumas y restas (2004)” premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and won awards at the 2005 Miami Latino Film Festival, the 2005 Cartagena Film Festival, the 2005 Toulouse Latin American Film Festival, as well as Ariel Award for Best Ibero-American Film in 2006.
Her fourth feature film, “La mujer del animal” (2016) was part of the 41st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, was Official Section of the Guadalajara Film Festival and the Rome International Film Festival and received the Best Director at the Havana Film Festival and the Malaga Film Festival, where he also won the Best Film award.
In 2009, Gaviria received the Medal of Cultural Merit from the Colombian Ministry of Culture, in recognition of his career and the contribution he has made throughout his career to Colombian and Latin American cinematography in such a way that he has become a benchmark of contemporary cinema, and as a prelude to the tribute paid to him by the 24th edition of the International Film Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico. That same year, at the end of March, the Bogotá District Cinematheque presented a retrospective of his productions that began with the launch of the book “Víctor Gaviria: 30 years of film life-Integral retrospective.”
In November 2016, he received the Lifetime Award of the fifth edition of the Macondo Awards, given by the Colombian Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (Acacc), in recognition of his 37 years of experience and work for Colombian cinematography.
Additionally, Víctor Gaviria leads the Jardín Film Festival, Antioquia, which held its first edition last July. The director has several projects in development, such as the feature film “Latinos”, winner of the TVE Award at the IV International Meeting of Film Co-Production at the 2008 Guadalajara Film Festival; “The girl in the elevator”, supported by the Ibermedia Program fund in 2005 with 11 thousand dollars, and the feature film “La hora de los traidores”, winner of the 2007 FDC Call.