Country: Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA 2004
Plots keywords: Drama | Civil War El Salvador
Language: Español – English subtitles
Director: Luis Mandoki
Writer: Óscar Torres, Luis Mandoki
Production Co: Coproducción México-EE UU-Puerto Rico; Lawrence Bender Productions / MUVI Films / Organización Santo Domingo / A Band Apart / Altavista Films / Santo Domingo Films
Runtime: 120 min.
Cast: Leonor Varela, Carlos Padilla, Ofelia Medina, José María Yazpick, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Paulina Gaitan
Awards: 2004: 3 Premios Ariel, incluyendo Mejor maquillaje y Coactuación femenina (Medina)
Voces Inocentes
En un pueblo de la periferia de San Salvador, vive Chava (Carlos Padilla), un niño de 11 años, que se encuentra atrapado entre el ejército y la guerrilla salvadoreña. Cuando su padre abandona a la familia, en plena guerra civil, Chava pasa a ser “el hombre de la casa”. En esta época, el gobierno de El Salvador reclutaba niños de doce años. Así que a Chava sólo le queda un año de escuela antes de ser movilizado.
Innocent Voices
A young boy, in an effort to have a normal childhood in 1980’s El Salvador, is caught up in a dramatic fight for his life as he desperately tries to avoid the war which is raging all around him.
Country: Spain 2008
Plots keywords: Documentary | Gangs
Language: Español – English subtitles
Director and Writer: Christian Poveda
Production Co: Coproducción España-México-Francia; Aquelarre Servicios Cinematograficos / El Caiman / La Femme Endormie
Runtime: 91 min.
La vida loca
Documental sobre la Mara 18 y, colateralmente, sobre su enconada rival, la Mara Salvatrucha, bandas creadas a partir de modelos surgidos en la ciudad de Los Ángeles, que siembran el terror en El Salvador. Una historia de una imaginería contemporánea creada en un mundo globalizado y que describe los orígenes de uno de los probables mitos fundadores del crimen organizado. Por último, como dato trágico y escalofriante, su director, Christian Poveda, fue asesinado de un tiro en la cabeza en septiembre del 2009 por un miembro de las maras.
Esta película contiene lenguaje e imágenes que pueden afectar su sensibilidad.
La vida loca
“La Vida Loca” reflects a depressing and hopeless reality. The documentary, by photojournalist and filmmaker Christian Poveda, follows some of the members of “la dieciocho”, the so-called 18th Street gang in a poor San Salvador neighborhood.
This movie contains language and images that can affect your sensitivity.
FILM SERIES: The History Through Cinema
Country: Spain 2007
Plots keywords: Migrations | Drama | Road Movie
Language: Español and Arabic – English subtitles
Director: Gerardo Olivares
Writer: Andrés Baiz, Patricia Catañeda
Production Co: Wanda Visión / Explora Films
Runtime: 95 min.
Cast: Adoum Moussa, Mahamadou Alzouma, Aminata Kanta, Mohamed Achemol
Awards: 2007: Seminci: Espiga de Oro, Mejor fotografía, Mejor música
14 Kilómetros
“Catorce kilómetros” es la distancia que separa África de Europa por el Estrecho de Gibraltar. En África hay millones de personas cuyo único objetivo es entrar en Europa porque el hambre no entiende de fronteras ni de barreras. Este largometraje quiere aportar un poco de luz a las sombras de la inmigración. Buba Kanou, Violeta Sunny Sunny y Mukela Kanou emprenden un largo y peligroso viaje hacia Europa a través de Mali, Níger, Argelia y Marruecos y muestran ciertos aspectos no muy conocidos de la realidad africana.
14 Kilometres
14 Kilometres, the distance separating Africa from Europe, is a road movie depicting the hardships and challenges some people undertake in order to reach their dream destination, where they believe they can find paradise.
The film follows the perilous journey of three characters across the Sahara to Morocco in order to cross the Straits of Gibraltar into Spain, as they attempt to reach the supposedly lavish lands of Europe where there is hope for the future. This trio consists of a young girl, Violet, who lives in a village in Mali, escaping her arranged marriage to an old man; Buba, a mechanic and a skillful footballer, and his older brother Mukela from the neighbouring Niger, who suggests that he go to Europe to try his skills there.
TEATRX is bringing back La Vida Es Cortos / Life Is Shorts Festival for the second year! The festival will once again bring Latinx stories to the stage and screen in new and exciting ways. This year’s lineup includes a 14-minute musical, 21 Chump Street: The Musical, by Hamilton star Lin Manuel Miranda, and a short film by native Houstonian Vannessa Vasquez of Hulu’s East Los High. Along with 21 Chump Street: The Musical, TEATRX will produce two plays chosen after a nationwide call for short plays. On behalf of TEATRX, Laura Moreno will direct, The Party Favor, by Julián Mesri. The second play, A Volunteer by Marian Licha will be directed and acted by members of Teatro Indigo. This year’s festival will also feature the Spanish language play, El Espejo by Emilio Carballido directed by RS Producciones, and a dance theatre piece written and choreographed by Adam Castaneda of Pilot Dance Project.
Because of the high volume of fantastic film submissions, TEATRX will show 13 short films ranging from two to fifteen minutes. Films will be split between four performances Thursday – Saturday. Each night the audience will vote on their favorite film. The top films will be featured at the final performance on Sunday, November 24.
La Vida Es Cortos/Life Is Shorts Festival is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.