CityLife

Viva! Film Festival 2010

A scene from The Milk Of Sorrow

Latino passions are set to run high when a month-long fiesta descends on the ‘corazón’ of Manchester.

The beginning of next month sees the return of ¡Viva!, the annual Spanish and Latin American Film Festival taking place at Cornerhouse, Oxford Street, in association with Instituto Cervantes Manchester.

In an extended calendar, running from tomorrow until March 27, Manchester’s international centre for contemporary visual arts and film will be hosting the best of current Spanish and Latin America cinema and welcoming a host of directors, including award-winning Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón (March 25) and Dominican Republic Luis Arambilet (March 18).

This year sees a festival first with the spirit of ¡Viva! spreading to the gallery as internationally acclaimed Mexican contemporary artist Carlos Amorales exhibits two of his most recent works, Psicofonias and Discarded Spider.

Eighteen new films are joined by three ‘shorts’ programmes, which includes work from the master of European silent cinema, Segundo de Chomón, on March 22 with live music accompaniment from Manchester-based experimental rock band Die Kunst.

Planned events bring in language skills with an introductory Spanish tour of the Amorales exhibition on March 9 and 10 (in English), as well as opportunities to practise Spanish, at Café Cervantes on March 13, and Catalan, at Cafè ‘Els Quatre Gats’ on March 14, both at 4pm at Cornerhouse.

Now in its 16th year, the film festival has evolved from just a few days focused on Spanish cinema to a month-long programme, and is one of the biggest events of its kind in the UK.
Isabelle Croissant, the Deputy Engagement Director for Cornerhouse and ¡Viva! says the festival offers not-to-be missed cinema and visual art.

“It attracts people who are interested in Spanish and Latin American culture, especially films,” she says, “but it’s also the opportunity to discover loads of great films.

“So, if you’re just interested in watching some films, which will rarely be seen on the UK screen, that’s the opportunity.

“We are really happy to have Carlos Amorales’s exhibition because he’s a really hot, Mexican leading contemporary artist at the moment and it’s a really good opportunity to see his work.

“We’re quite lucky to have his work because everyone wants him at the moment.”

Croissant says the highlights start with Solo Quiero Caminar (Just Walking), a Spanish and Mexican co-production, with an action-packed revenge thriller, which opens the programme on March 6 and is repeated on March 8.

Commenting on some of this season’s other must-sees, she says: “A film I would recommend as well is Little Indi (March 14 and 20).

“This is more slow-paced, really stunning and contemplative and sensitive.

“It’s a coming-of-age story of a teenager who is introverted and has a hard family life but who is also very good with animals.

“For people who are into quirky comedy there is Mal Día Para Pescar (A Bad Day To Go Fishing – March 7 and 9).

“It is a film from Uruguay, which is a county that is not very often represented in film making, but here we have two Uruguayan comedies actually.

“If people are into period drama the film La Buena Nueva (The Good News – March 19 and 24) is set in the Spanish civil war.

“Finally, if someone wants to see a gorgeous film there is La Teta Asustada (The Milk Of Sorrow) which has been nominated for Best Foreign Language film Oscar.

“There will be a bit of sun, even though it’s metaphorical.”

For more information about ¡Viva! 2010 visit the website at www.vivafilmfestival.com. For bookings, visit www.cornerhouse.org.