Documentary Shorts in Competition
American/Sandinista
In the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War, a bloody civil war between the Soviet-friendly Sandinistas and U.S.-backed Contras ravaged Nicaragua. Despite the danger, thousands of Americans disobeyed White House warnings and descended upon the Central American nation, determined to lend their skills and labor to the social-democratic Sandinista cause. Using an eclectic mixture of rare archival footage, arresting still photography, and contemporary interviews, American/Sandinista tells the story of a small group of controversial U.S. engineers who partnered with local communities and went further than anyone expected, risking their lives in the process.
Close to Home
Ever since Brian Marquez was murdered on a San Francisco street corner in 2005, his father, Luis, has been on a quest to find the killers that took his son. During the traditional Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead, Close to Home portrays a father that has yet to deal with the death of his son, and a daughter who longs to reconnect with the father she once had.
Conversations II
Conversations II offers an intimate look at the female universe; a journey in time through evocative images and the testimonies of women from the same family. Through the personal search of a daughter into the lives of her mother and grandmother, the film explores the evolution of the female role in a Latin American society and how the views of marriage and motherhood have changed with each generation, as well as the view that women have of themselves.
Diario del fin (Diary of the End)
A woman facing a bleak future recounts her life in sketchy, seemingly random, episodes. One by one the scars and despair left by a life ridden with responsibilities and sacrifice, but little joy, inevitably emerge. Diario del fin is a visceral and moving account filled with brutally honest, yet liberating, confessions.
Dossiê Rê Bordosa
This animated short investigates the mystery and motivations behind cartoonist Angeli’s decision to kill off the underground diva, Rê Bordosa, his most famous character. Was it because she was too famous? Because of envy? Or did he do it just for kicks?
Fotógrafos
Fotógrafos reveals the stories of the photographers who work at the foot of the stairs of the Capitol in Havana, Cuba. Their beautiful antique cameras may be relics of the past as supplies become harder and harder to acquire, yet they remain upbeat as they preserve the images of visitors in sepia-toned photographs.Waiting for Women
In the remote Spanish village of Riofrío, most of the women have left. Unable to bear the disastrous situation any longer, the village men organize a busload of single women to come from Madrid to relieve their solitude. Their ideal aim is to fall in love but having never learned how to relate to women, besides their mothers and prostitutes, the event turns into a bizarre adventure. Waiting for Women is a heart-warming documentary about love, solitude, gender, migration and hope.
