Mexico

La Cocina directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios.

7:00 pm

Q&A with filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios, plus post-screening reception sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute in DC.

Shifting between the balletic machinations of a kitchen during the lunchtime rush and the explosive interpersonal conflicts boiling just beneath the surface of its well-oiled routine, Ruizpalacios channels THE BEAR as if reimagined by John Cassavetes, creating a high-wire drama that explores the illusions of the American dream and the lengths to which the kitchen's working class and largely undocumented staff must go to achieve it. At the heart of the brilliant ensemble cast is Raúl Briones (A COP MOVIE) as Mexican chef Pedro, a fiery-tempered dreamer entangled in a turbulent affair with Julia (Oscar®-nominated actress Rooney Mara), a harried waitress with her own crosses to bear.  

No Guilt

Directed by Valeria Bertucelli

Following the success of her directorial debut, THE QUEEN OF FEAR, beloved Argentine actress Valeria Bertuccelli returns with another riotous tale of a dysfunctional woman on the verge of a breakdown. She plays successful author Berta Muller, whose life spirals out of control when a leaked video exposes her as a fraud for cribbing passages from some of the most famous thinkers in history. With the help of her lawyer (Almodóvar regular Cecilia Roth) and her assistant (Justina Bustos, THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE), Berta tries to correct course, only to end up doubling down on her worst instincts. This crowd-pleasing comedy is elevated by the hilarious chemistry between Roth and Bertuccelli. 

The Dog Thief

Directed by Vinko Tomičić

In Bolivia's bustling city of La Paz, 13-year-old orphan Martin (Franklin Aro Huasco) shines shoes in order to make ends meet. Facing a precarious living situation and struggling to keep up with his studies, Martin comes up with a possible solution: to steal the beloved German Shepherd of his best client, a lonely tailor (Alfredo Castro), and claim the reward money upon safe return of the dog. But as the two men grow closer, Martin must decide if he's willing to risk their newfound bond. Chilean filmmaker Vinko Tomičić Salinas drew inspiration from Italian neorealism for this tenderhearted drama, featuring masterful performances from Latin American stalwart Castro and young Huasco, who won an honorary mention for Best New Actor at the Guadalajara Film Festival for his impressive debut. 

Malu

Directed by Pedro Freire

September 29  4:00 pm   &   September 30  9:10 pm

All her life, Malu (Yara de Novaes) has marched to the beat of a different drummer. A former actress and political activist, she now dreams of opening a cultural center and community theater in her ramshackle home near the favela. Malu has strained relationships with both her mother, Lili (Juliana Carneiro da Cunha), a religious conservative who never understood her daughter’s different views, and her daughter, Joana (Carol Duarte, LA CHIMERA), also an actress, who loves her mother, despite that she was an unreliable and neglectful parent. Malu is a magnetic yarn-spinner and the life of any party, but her relentless anti-authoritarianism tends to spill over from idealism into anger and arguments. At this point in her life, it may be that Malu is simply living in the past, reminiscing about long-ago romances and fleeting artistic triumphs while losing touch with the reality of her present and ever-dwindling future.

Maybe It’sTrue What They Say About Us

Direced by Camilo Becerra

September 21  9:10   & September 23  7:15

Based on the infamous Colliguay cult in Chile, this psychological thriller examines the haunting effects of generational trauma. Ximena (Aline Küppenheim, CHILE '76) is a well-to-do psychiatrist living a seemingly easy life until her estranged daughter Tamara (Camila Roeschmann) turns up unexpectedly after years spent off the grid with a spiritual sect. Ximena quickly realizes something is fishy when she learns that Tamara's newborn son is missing. As family bonds are tested and secrets revealed, a police investigation looks to solve the mystery.

The Movie Teller

Directed by Lone Scherfing

October 4   7:10

María Margarita (Sara Becker), the youngest of four siblings, has a preternatural ability to perfectly recount the movies she sees — a welcome gift, considering her family can only afford one movie ticket to the only cinema in their mining town nestled in Chile's Atacama Desert. Word of her unique skill spreads throughout the village, and soon everyone pays a visit to hear her stories and be transported to a better world, if only for a brief, imaginary moment. napoleon spiriteuxFeaturing stellar performances from Bérénice Bejo (THE ARTIST), Daniel Brühl (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) and Antonio de la Torre (THE REALM), THE MOVIE TELLER is an inspiring celebration of storytelling and the power of cinema to bring weary souls together and find joy.

Mi Bestia

directed by Camila Beltrán

September 20   9:15   &   September 26   9:20

 A total lunar eclipse is approaching and will reveal a blood moon. Thirteen-year-old Mila awaits the event with anticipation and trepidation. At her strict Catholic school, the nuns warn that this planetary alignment could welcome the devil. Her mother worries about her whereabouts during this tense time, but, stuck working multiple jobs, relies on Mila’s stepfather to watch over her. As the eclipse approaches and strange things start happening, Mila will take her independence into her own hands. Premiering in the ACID section at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the debut feature from Camila Beltrán is a horror-tinged coming-of-age tale with lo-fi 1990s VHS vibes.

I Saw Three Black Lights

directed by Santiago Lozano Álvarez

September 27   9:40 - October 2   5:15 - October 3   5:00

With his visually lush, dreamlike sophomore feature, filmmaker Santiago Lozano Álvarez (SIEMBRA) explores the impact of Colombia's ongoing guerrilla and paramilitary conflict on the country's rural population, specifically its Afro-Colombian communities. Seventy-year-old José (Jesús María Mina) lives deep in the rainforest on Colombia's Pacific Coast, where he is a spiritual leader in his remote village. When the ghost of his son, Pium-Pium (Julián Ramirez), a recent victim of the conflict between local paramilitary factions, visits José and warns him about his own impending death, José embarks on a final journey to find a place where his soul can pass peacefully into the afterlife. As he ventures deep into the jungle, encountering a world in which militias and illegal mining have decimated his community, he must dodge bullets, rival gangs and corrupt local officials to save his soul from purgatory. Winner, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography in an Ibero-American Feature Film, 2024 Guadalajara International Film Festival. Official Selection, 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. 

La Suprema

Directed by Felipe Holguín Caro

Special post-screening reception hosted by the Embassy of Colombia October 2   7:15

Off the coast of the Caribbean in the remote Colombian village of La Suprema, scrappy teen Laureana (Elizabeth Martínez) dreams of following in her uncle's footsteps and becoming a professional boxer. When she discovers he's fighting a championship match in Venezuela, she jumps into action, mobilizing the locals to watch the fight on television. Only problem is the town doesn't have electricity, let alone a TV. Roping in her uncle's estranged coach, she heads to the big city to make her dreams come true. A rousing crowd-pleaser, the debut feature from Felipe Holguín Caro brings authenticity and dignity to a small, vibrant, rural town looking to literally put themselves on the map.

Closing Night

Pimpinero: Blood and Oil

Directed by Andrés Baiz

October 10   7:00

In the desert bordering Colombia and Venezuela, gasoline smugglers known as "pimpineros" risk their lives transporting illegal fuel from one country to another. When Juan — the youngest in a clan of three brothers entangled in this perilous trade — is forced to work for a sinister rival, the underbelly of the business is laid bare, with tragic consequences. Determined to uncover the gruesome secrets that shroud this no-man's-land, Juan's girlfriend, Diana, embarks on a quest for the truth. This heart-pounding thriller from Andrés Baiz (TV's GRISELDA and NARCOS) world-premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and features bristling performances by Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Speitzer, Laura Osma and Colombian music icon Juanes.

Memories of a Burning Body

September 22   6:00  &  September 25   9:10

Winner of the Panorama Audience Award at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, MEMORIES OF A BURNING BODY is an intimate, frank and expertly rendered portrait of three women's lives and desires under the repressive patriarchal structures of 20th-century Costa Rican society. Inspired by conversations she wished she’d had with her grandmothers, Costa Rican filmmaker Antonella Sudasassi Furniss (THE AWAKENING OF THE ANTS) blends real-life testimonies with reenactments of moments in the lives of Ana, Patricia and Mayela, spanning experiences from childhood into their later years. Now in their 60s and 70s, these women are unafraid to speak candidly about their sexuality, regrets and hopes for the future. Their voices manifest in the stunning performance of 65-year-old actress Sol Carballo, who re-creates a kaleidoscopic tale of intertwined memories, secrets and hidden desires. Never pessimistic and surprisingly full of humor, MEMORIES OF A BURNING BODY celebrates these women's stories and their survival, bringing the unspoken and unseen into full view for a new generation of Costa Rican women.

Pepe

Directed by Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias

October 8   7:30

Hippopotami roam across sub-Saharan Africa and, thanks to notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, a small yet growing area of Colombia. Dominican filmmaker Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias uses this oddity to examine the effects of colonialism and displacement through an idiosyncratic doc/narrative hybrid. Employing a hypnotic baritone narration attributed to Pepe himself — a voiceover that switches between Afrikaans, the Namibian dialect Mbukushu and Spanish — Arias lets the creature, a rogue male shot dead in 2009 under the auspices of the Colombian government, tell his own story, one filled with deep philosophical questions about language, life and death. Archival scenes and stunning 16mm footage featuring trippy shots of the hippos in their watery habitats add an engrossing visual element to this rich and rewarding film. Official Selection, Berlin and Karlovy Vary film festivals. 

On the Invention of Species

Directed by Tania Hermida

September 20   5:15   &   September 22   1:15

Adrift after the loss of her brother, 12-year-old Carla is dragged to the Galápagos Islands to accompany her biologist father on a weeklong conservation conference. Reinventing herself as "Island," she's left to explore the area on her own. She quickly strikes up friendships with the precocious Wiki, whose mother is also attending the conference, and the rakish local teen Darwin. They join Carla on a journey of self-discovery, together trekking into the heart of the island. Shot on location, Tania Hermida's lyrical coming-of-age tale features the island's gorgeous scenery and its unrivaled animal life as you've never seen it. 

Rita

Directed by Jayro Bustamante

September 28   9:00   &   October 3   9:00

Guatemalan maestro Jayro Bustamante (IXCANUL, LA LLORONA) returns with a grim fairy tale, another brilliant examination of his country's tumultuous history told through a fantastical genre lens. After escaping a brutal home life, 13-year-old Rita (Giuliana Santa Cruz) is apprehended and sent to a state-run orphanage where girls are divided into gangs of mythical creatures. Rita is sent to bunk with the angels and quickly discovers that the institution is twisted, filled with corrupt guards intent on making their lives miserable. Refusing to accept the hellish conditions, the girls take fate into their own hands and start a revolution — with deadly consequences.

God is a Woman

Directed by Andrés Peyrot

September 29   12:15  &  October 1   5:10

In this powerfully self-reflexive documentary, Swiss-Panamanian filmmaker Andrés Peyrot embeds himself alongside the Indigenous Kuna people in Panama's Guna Yala islands to document their efforts to recover the lost film GOD IS A WOMAN. Made in 1975 while observing the Kuna's matrilocal society by the acclaimed anthropologist Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau (best known for creating the Academy Award®–winning documentary SKY ABOVE AND MUD BENEATH), the documentary, which Gaisseau promised to share with the community, was subsequently confiscated by its funders and never seen by the subjects. After elements are uncovered in Paris, Peyrot follows the endeavors of Kuna elders trying to track down the missing movie and those of the local intellectual Arysteides Turpana and a younger Kuna generation determined to tell their own stories.

The Last

Directed by Sebastián Peña Escobar

September 23  9:20 - September 24  5:10

- October 9  2:45

A ruminative road trip through the forests of the Chaco region in Paraguay, THE LAST sees director Sebastián Peña Escobar join his longtime friends Jota and Ulf, an ornithologist and entomologist, respectively, as they head toward one of the few remaining virgin forests spurred by rumors of its deforestation. While traversing barren landscapes, red and black with dust and ash where vibrant forests once stood, the trio's conversations turn toward reflecting on the nature of mankind and whether the planet can be saved.

Through Rocks and Clouds

Directed by Franco García Becerra

Post-screening reception sponsored by the Embassy of Peru October 7   7:00

October 8   3:20

In the heart of the Andean Altiplano, eight-year-old Feliciano tends to a herd of alpacas alongside his trusty dog Rambo and his favorite alpaca Ronaldo, named after the superstar soccer player. When not roaming the countryside, Feliciano stays glued to his radio, listening to Peru fight its way through the World Cup qualifiers. But his idyllic life is threatened by a mining company eyeing his family's land. When Ronaldo goes missing, Feliciano springs into action to get his prized pet back, while the villagers will have to band together to save their sacred land.

Reinas

Directed by Klaudia Reynicke.

October 5  2:00  &  October 8  5:15

Lima, summer of 1992: amid social and political unrest in Peru, Elena (an intensely understated Jimena Lindo) receives a promising job offer in Minnesota. She plans to escape her turbulent homeland with her daughters Aurora (Luana Vega) and Lucia (Abril Gjurinovic) in tow — but their estranged father, Carlos (Gonzalo Molina), must sign the necessary paperwork first. The girls and their father cherish reconnecting, but their encounters — and Carlos' perpetual unreliability — further complicate an already difficult moment in the children's lives. Swiss-Peruvian director Klaudia Reynicke's third feature is a subtle, elegiac tale of a family on the precipice of change grounded in a specific historical context that illuminates the struggles faced by parents seeking the best for their children.

Greice

Directed by Leonardo Mouramateus

Post-screening reception sponsored by the Embassy of Portugal September 26  7:00

September 30  4:50

A Brazilian in Lisbon, 21-year-old Greice is studying sculpture at a boundary-pushing fine arts school. Relying on her charm and wit to get by, Greice isn't afraid to bend the truth to get what she wants. Desperate for a pool on a hot summer day, she fibs her way into the home and heart of the well-to-do Afonso. But after an argument leaves her the main suspect in a crime, she'll have to flee to her hometown of Fortaleza to pick up the pieces of her visa case. Brazilian filmmaker Leonardo Mouramateus' fresh, infectious comedy features a dazzling performance by Amandyra in the title role, echoing the pure charisma of a screwball heroine.

Ellipsis

Directed byDavid Marqués

September 20  7:15 &  September 25  7:10

Elena Ferrante meets Alfred Hitchcock in this Spanish thriller by the Goya-nominated director David Marqués that's full of nail-biting twists and turns. Leo (Diego Peretti), a successful writer of mystery novels under the pseudonym Cameron Graves, is deep at work on his next book in his remote chalet when he is paid a visit by a mysterious man named Jota (José Coronado). The only person who knows Leo's whereabouts and true identity is his agent (Cecilia Suárez) — so just who is knocking at his door? To say more would spoil a delightful exploration of jealousy, deceit and betrayal whose narrative unspools in a PULP FICTION-like manner. 

Don’t You Let Me Go

Directed by Ana Guevara

Post-screening reception sponsored by the Embassy or Uruguay September 24 7:10

September 26  5:15

After the death of her best friend, Adela (Chiara Hourcade) has trouble imagining how she'll be able to live without Elena (Victoria Jorge) by her side. Utterly distraught, Adela leaves the wake and happens upon a bus, which transports her back in time to spend one last magical weekend at the beach with Elena. As they soak up the sun, reading trashy detective novels and sharing old memories, Adela savors every minute as a tiny miracle. Uruguayan auteurs Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge (SO MUCH WATER) bring warmth and humor to this tale of female friendship and grief, which deservedly won the Nora Ephron Award at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.