05 · 31 · 07

Mexican Filmmakers Celebrate in Paris (Reforma) 27.05.07

Several members of the Mexican film community gathered together at Mexican Institute in Paris to watch award-winning shorts this past Tuesday, May 28th. The short films had previously received awards at Morelia and had also screened at this years’ Cannes Film Festival.

The program included Elisa Miller’s Ver llover, winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes and Best Short at the FICM; Gustavo Gamou’s La palomilla salvaje (Best Documentary, FICM) and Natalia López’s En el cielo como en la tierra (Best Experimental Short, FICM).

Ernesto Contrera’s Párpados Azules will be distributed in France.
Mónica Delgado (Reforma)
Paris, France (May 30th, 2007). The Mexican Institute organized a screening with some of the filmmakers that presented their work at the Cannes Film Festival. The event was attended by Elisa Miller, winner of the Palme D’Or for Ver llover; Ernesto Contreras, Párpados Azules, Critics’ Week; Gustavo Gamou, La Palomilla Salvaje, special screening, Critics’ Week; and Ximena Ayala, actress, Malos Hábitos, Critics’ Week. The directors presented their work and chatted with the audience after the screening.

“Peoples’ response to the film and what critics wrote really mattered to me; I’m really happy that, at Cannes, the film found distribution in France,” said Contreras, prior to the screening of his film. The Mexican director also said that Párpados will have its commercial premiere in France next fall. “I’m meeting with the distributor this week and we’re setting a release date,” he added.

Gustavo Gamou and Elisa Miller also talked with the audience about their work. “One day, I was feeling optimistic, so I sent my short to Cannes. I filled out the forms on the Internet and off it went. I then forgot about it until they called me to tell me it had been selected,” said Miller to the audience. “You have to give it a shot,” the young filmmaker added.

Miller agrees that her short has some technical errors, but that the jury commended her artistic talent. Both films were part of a class requirement at the CCC (Center for Cinematographic Studies). Miller and Gamou also talked about the difficulties of making a film, and their professors’ strict evaluation: “You present your movie in front of all the teachers and they criticize it. They can be harsh, with me they were harsh, but in order to improve that’s the way it has to be,” said Miller. The young director plans to finish her studies and work on her thesis, just like the rest of her class.

After the talk, the filmmakers and the public attended a reception hosted by the Mexican Institute in Paris.

(Translated by Paulina Suárez)