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María Valverde premiered EL CANTO DE LAS AVES at the 23rd FICM and Unveiled Her Armchair

Gustavo R. Gallardo

Director María Valverde premiered her documentary El canto de las manos at the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

With producer Martí Font, actress Jennifer González, and actors José Gabriel Abarca and Gustavo Dudamel in attendance, the festival's vice president, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel, thanked government agencies and deaf associations for their support.

“I hope you enjoy your time in Morelia as much as we enjoy having you here,” he told them.

This documentary explores deafness through Jennifer, Gabriel, and José, three deaf musicians from Venezuela who face the challenge of staging Beethoven's “Fidelio” in sign language for the first time, under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. The film shows the isolation that the protagonists face as a result of their deafness, making music not only their refuge, but also their salvation and hope.

“El canto de las manos means understanding music through the deaf community. It shows how deaf people can make music and devote themselves to it,” the director of films like Libertador explained. 

María Valderve Unveils Commemorative Armchair

In keeping with tradition, FICM awards a customized movie theatre armchair to film personalities whose contributions transcend the screen, and this time it was presented to the Spanish filmmaker.

“We do this because we admire your work, because we know that Morelia loves you. María gave us a moment in 2013 when she showed us the power of cinema, the power it can give us. She left that memory and since then the festival has been calling her back," said Cárdenas Batel.

“Thank you, Cuauhtémoc, for the most beautiful gift I have ever received in my film career,” said the director, whose armchair will be installed in screening room 4 at Cinépolis Centro in Morelia.