Ecuador, Mockumentary, 2015
72 min, Color
Spanish with English subtitles

A SECRET IN THE BOX invents the life and works of Marcelo Chiriboga (1933-1990), an internationally known Ecuadorian writer and member of the “boom” generation, who remains unknown in his country. Through multiple voices and varied archival footage, the film reconstructs the puzzle of Chiriboga’s existence, a mixture of reality and fiction. From his early youth marked by the Ecuador-Peru War and political compromise, up to prolonged exile in East Berlin and the publication of the novel THE IMAGINARY LINE (1968), which would grant him worldwide fame and censorship in his own country, the film explores the complex relationships between history and art, art and life. A SECRET IN THE BOX not only develops the biography of a non-existent writer but also explores forgotten aspects of Ecuadorian history, like its military past.

Texas Premiere

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About the director

Javier Izquierdo was born in Quito, Ecuador. He studied in several universities in Quito, as well as the Griffith Academy in Rome, and the ESCAC in Barcelona. He has worked as a scriptwriter, director, festival programmer and university professor. He wrote the Chilean short UNA CAMA and the documentary INSTANTES DE CAMPAÑA, the latter of which premiered in Visions du Reel, 2015. He is currently developing the features PANAMÁ and BARAJAS.

Credits

Producer: Isabella Parra
Production Companies: Caleidoscopio Cine
Screenwriter: Javier Izquierdo, Jorge Izquierdo
Cinematographer: Tomás Astudillo
Editor: Carmen Colino, Juan Rhon
Sound Design: Franz Córdova
Cast: Alfredo Espinosa, Michael Thomas, Ángel Gavilánez, Yolanda Acosta, Antonio Ordoñez, José Ignacio Donoso, Christoph Baumann, Amaia Merino, Randi Krarup

Print Source: Sergio Garcí­a Locatelli, sergiogarcia@quechuafilms.com