10 · 26 · 13

Premiere in Mexico of The Liberator by Alberto Arvelo

The last screening on Friday, October 25, was the Mexican premiere of Liberador / The Liberator by Venezuelan director Alberto Arvelo. Part of the production team was present, including the director, actress María Valverde, director’s assistant René Villareal and producer Ana Loehnert.

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel, vice president of FICM, introduced the film and the invited guests. He congratulated the director for the good reception that the film has received from both the critics and the public and he expressed his surprise that hours before María Valverde’s arrival in Morelia hundreds of fans were waiting for her on the steps of Cinépolis Centro. Also present was Alejandro, Ramírez Magaña, president of the festival, who thanked the director for coming to the festival.

In The Liberator, Arvelo delves into the life of Simón Bolívar, historical character known as “The Liberator.” The story begins in Bolívar’s childhood and continues until his adult life, when he distances himself from European society and begins to fight for the independence of some Spanish colonies.

At the end of the function, the director spoke with the audience about the experience of making the film. “The Liberator is a super production that featured the work of many people,” he said. “It’s hard to handle such a big team, it was a challenge, perhaps the greatest that I’ve faced so far, but the result has been rewarding. It was a great honor to work with María and Édgar Ramírez, who unfortunately could not join us at the festival.”

María Valverde said she was very pleased to be at FICM and that she was surprised at the warm manner that the people of Morelia received her.