Casula Powerhouse

Brand new this year - a series of
experimental film sessions, screening at the
famous Mu-Meson Archives in Annandale,
and at the Dendy we have a special
“Amantes” shorts session on the theme of
Latin lovers.
Saludos Sydney and welcome to the 4th
Sydney Latin American Film Festival – the
biggest selection of Latin American films ever
shown in Australia!
It’s with pleasure that we bring you an
expanded program of hand picked films
from all over Latin America, which we’ll be
screening at two new Festival locations
- the amazing Dendy Opera Quays
overlooking Sydney Harbour and the
state of the art Casula Powerhouse near
Liverpool in Sydney’s west.
The festival will open in the City with
the visually spectacular Chilean drama
Desierto Sur followed by an Opening
Night Fiesta presented by Vivaz Restaurant
& Nightclub in the Rocks – this event is
not to be missed! Opening at the Casula
Powerhouse is the Argentinean hit comedy
Un Novio Para Mi Mujer and fiesta to
welcome the Festival to Western Sydney.
Returning in 2009 is our Local Filmmaker
showcase and Microcinema sessions,
both expected to stimulate debate and
discussion long after you leave the cinema.
As always, you will have the opportunity
to vote for your favourite film in the
Audience Award, which will see one lucky
voter jetting off to Buenos Aires with a
companion courtesy of LAN Airlines.
Thank you to all our generous sponsors,
supporters and volunteers, whose
passionate commitment to promoting
Latin American cinema and community
engagement has made this festival
possible. We hope you enjoy the program
as much as we have enjoyed bringing it
to you.
Nos vemos en el festival! See you at the
Festival!
We’re thrilled to be presenting a huge
number of Australian premieres including
Uruguayan political thriller Matar a Todos
and multi-award winning Brazilian drama
Praça Saens Peña as well as provocative
documentaries, arthouse drama,
outrageous comedies and captivating
short films.

Community
Support
Program
We are constantly inspired by the efforts of
the hard working, selfless individuals and
organisations who fight poverty and social
injustices in Latin America.
Since our inaugural Festival in 2006, the
Sydney Latin American Film Festival (SLAFF)
has been supporting and raising awareness
for community development organisations
in Latin America through our Community
Support Program. Through the Program,
the majority of funds raised from Festival
ticket sales are donated to a variety of
initiatives in Latin America, in support
of health, education and environmental
projects.
To date, SLAFF and Sydney audiences have
supported nine grassroots organisations by
giving over $31,000 worth of grants. This
year we will be fundraising for a number
of new organisations. Further information
about past and present grant recipients
can be found on our website.
Cine Barrio
Cine Barrio (Neighbourhood Cinema) is a
program devised by SLAFF to present Latino
film screenings and discussion at free and
accessible venues in collaboration with
various community groups & educational
institutions across Sydney. SLAFF’s focus
on community engagement reflects our
desire to not only share Latino film and
culture with a wider audience, but to ensure
that the needs of the local community are
being met by making these cultural events
financially, geographically and socially
accessible. We would like to acknowledge
the support of the City of Sydney in the
Cine Barrio Project.
The Sydney Latin American Film Festival
is a 100% volunteer staffed, non-profit
organisation.

HIGHLIGHTS
Shorts and Sounds
Take a sneak peak at what’s in store for
the Festival at our Shorts and Sounds
screenings in August, when we present
teasers from the Festival showcased
alongside Latin-inspired performance and
music.
@ Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
Featuring the fevered candombe
percussion of Fernando Andres and friends,
the magical sounds of Victor Monasterio
plus Latin Hip Hop by Bravo Linguista &
DJ DreadJuan. Friday 7 August from 7pm,
$12/$10. Food and drinks available.
@Eastside Arts Paddington
Featuring tango duo Hosanna Heinrich
& Federico Mattiuzzi, the music of Victor
Monasterio and latin rhythms of Nova Sol,
a musical ensemble from Hispanic Artistic
Expression. Saturday 15 August from 7pm,
$12/$10. Food and drinks available.
Fiestas In the City
Make sure you arrive a little early to the City
opening night to witness the divine tango
duo Hosanna Heinrich & Federico Mattiuzzi
perform with gypsy tango trio, My Sauce
Good.
Vivaz Opening Night Fiesta
This year the Festival has partnered with
Vivaz Restaurant & Nightclub in the Rocks -
to host our biggest and best opening night
fiesta yet. Headlining the entertainment
will be one of Sydney’s most sought-after
Latin bands, Son Veneno. Expect to be
spoiled with fantastic food and drinks to
complete a spectacular opening night
experience. Wednesday 2 September,
following the opening night film,
Desierto Sur.
City Closing Night Festa
We’re holding a very special Brazilianthemed
City Closing Night Festa prior to
the screening of Praça Saens Peña on
Tuesday 8 September from 7pm, with
complementary drinks and samba by Brazil
Brasil Show - it will be a night of pure
Brazzzzziliance!
Vivaz Mid-Festival Fiesta
We think you can never have too many
parties, and so with thanks to Vivaz
Restaurant & Nightclub we’re holding
another amazing night of music featuring
the latino rhythms of Bamboleo.
Wednesday 9 September from 8pm @
Vivaz. Entry is free!

FIESTAS In the West
The Casula Powerhouse comes alive on
Thursday 10 September, when the Western
Sydney arm of the Festival opens. Following
the screening of Un novio para mi mujer,
an outstanding array of talent awaits you
- featuring Café Sur and Uber Lingua DJs
Spex and DubChaman spinning tunes.
Completing the evening – delicious food
and drinks.
Enjoy our fiestas with thanks to Sauza Tequila,
Corona, Santa Rita Wines and Sagatiba
Cachaca.
Microcinema
With the support of Dendy Cinemas, our
Microcinema sessions this year will be
free to the public. Showcasing films with
a focus on Ecuador: the film La Curacion
examines the nature of traditional
medicine and shamanic healing and
When Clouds Clear recounts one remote
Andean community’s radical resistance to
a proposed copper mine that threatens to
destroy their way of life. Screenings will be
followed by a discussion panel.
Guest Filmmakers
We’re thrilled to bring to Sydney shores,
Mauricio Arriagada, the Producer of our
City opening night film Desierto Sur – with
thanks to LAN Airlines and Vinicius Reis,
the Director of Praça Saens Peña – with
thanks to the Consulate General of Brazil.
Be sure to join us as the filmmakers share
with us their take on the making of these
amazing films! Plus meet the local talent
at our local filmmaker screening and guest
Argentinean filmmaker, Cristian Monetti.
AUDieNCE AWARD
Win a trip for two to Buenos Aires!
LAN Airlines is the proud presenter of
this year’s Audience Award prize for our
voting audience – an amazing trip for two
to breathtaking Buenos Aires. To be in
the running to win, simply complete the
Audience Award form handed out after
each session by ranking the film you’ve
watched and telling us a little bit about
your film festival experience! The Audience
Award recognises the most popular
Feature, Documentary and Short films
with cash prizes for the filmmakers.
Plus, our local filmmakers are competing
for $3000 worth of film equipment with
thanks to John Barry Sales and Panavision
Australia!

Desierto Sur
Shawn Garry, 2007, Chile, 100min, Feature,
Spanish / English 7pm Wed 2 Sep &
8pm Fri 11 Sep
Visually stunning, multi-award winning road movie with a story that spans
from Spain to Southern Chile
Beautiful Sofia has led a full and happy life in Barcelona, but the sudden death of her
mother sends her reeling. A mysterious “return-to-sender” letter reveals that her mother
lived her happiest days far from Spain, in a remote place called Desierto Sur. Filled with
sorrow, Sofia leaves Spain for Chile and sets off on a road trip in search of the remote
and unknown place. Set against the magical landscapes of the Atacama Desert in
Northern Chile, an unlikely story of self-discovery unfolds as Sofia places her trust in
Nadia, Gustavo and a transvestite hooker.
Join us for the opening night film presented by the film’s producer Mauricio
Arriagada, followed by the Vivaz Opening Night Fiesta.
Cuba, the value of Utopia
Yanara Guayasamin, 2006, Ecuador, 120min, Documentary, Spanish / English
6pm Thu 3 Sep
A profound documentary about the revolutionary generation.
The notion that the past is always present is a powerful one in Cuba. A poet, a
songstress, a painter and even Fidel himself are the characters through whom Yanara
Guayasamín recreates the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath. What do the witnesses
and survivors of this bloody struggle have to say today, 50 years later? Their lives, their
battles, their dreams and memories
help build a vivid portrait of an entire
generation and its leader.

Bagatela
Jorge Caballero, 2008, Colombia, 74min, Documentary, Spanish / English 730pm Thu 3 Sep
Just what happens when you end up on the wrong side of the law in Bogotá?
In Bogotá, as in many third world cities, most people who find themselves embroiled
in the criminal justice system have committed minor misdemeanors that reflect their
abject social reality. Nonetheless, the justice system comes down hard on these people.
Selling pirated CDs, stealing a cell phone or simply sleeping on the street can mean
years in prison. Bagatela paints a portrait of justice by looking closely at the petty
crimes that take place each moment on the streets of Bogotá – a city used to living
with both violence and inequality.
Screening with Buenas intenciones (Mexico)
Manuela & Manuel
Raul Marchand, 2007, Puerto Rico, 90min, Comedy, Spanish / English 815pm Thu 3 Sep
A wacky comedy about a boy, who enjoys being a girl, trying to be a boy.
Deep inside, Manuel has always been Manuela. Amid the worst romantic debacle of
her life, Manuela (a drag club diva) reinvents herself as Manuel in order to pass as the
fiancée of her best friend Coca, who is pregnant from a one-night stand and must face
her conservative family. Hidden identities, misunderstandings and the tension between
two friends pretending to be what they are not set the stage for a colourful and
vibrant story. A lively marriage of screwball comedy and drama, Manuela and Manuel
is a visually captivating story about two friends performing in the melodrama of Latin
American life.
Screening with Yo Dual (Mexico/Cuba)

LA CLASE
José Antonio Varela, 2007, Venezuela, 90min,
Feature, Spanish / English 7pm Fri 4 Sep
A compelling drama about class difference in Venezuela.
Beautiful Tita is a promising young violinist, who lives in a rough neighbourhood in
Caracas. Being part of a symphony orchestra gives her great satisfaction, but a violent
incident shakes her peace of mind compelling her to accept a friend’s offer of a flat in a
wealthier part of town. Little by little she begins to move away from her family and old
friends, aligning herself with her new love who offers her an escape into a new world.
Ultimately though her country’s reality will take her to a definitive crossroad.
Screening with Cunaro (Venezuela)
RAIN /LLUVIA
Paula Hernandez, 2007, Argentina, 110min, Feature, Spanish / English 9pm Fri 4 Sep
Multi-award winning drama about Roberto and Alma, two people who meet
in a traffic jam in a rain-soaked Buenos Aires.
It has been raining non-stop in Buenos Aires for three days. Alma and Roberto have not
yet met. Immersed in their own solitude and at the mercy of the weather, they confront
their own fears, uncertainties and losses. Alma has recently left the man she has lived
with for nine years. Roberto has come back to the country after almost thirty years
abroad. Here he has nothing, just a father in a coma, with whom he has no relationship,
and an apartment that has to be emptied. In the middle of a traffic jam, Alma’s car door
opens unexpectedly. Roberto gets in. Alma, without knowing exactly why, lets him stay,
unaware of what this sudden encounter
will bring.
Screening with Despierta (Ecuador)

THE WATERCOLORIST
EL ACUARELISTA
Daniel Ró, 2008, Peru, 88min, Comedy, Spanish / English 5pm Sat 5 Sep
A beautifully shot film about an artist trying to deal with the demands of
society.
Quitting his job as a clerk and moving out of the family home, ‘T’ attempts to fulfil
a lifelong dream to become a watercolour artist. An old apartment block in the city
centre provides the perfect backdrop to bring to life his vision. But his perfect solitude
is interrupted by his nosy, small-minded neighbours. Escaping to the privacy of his
bathroom, can ‘T’ finally paint his watercolour? Channeling the black humour of Kafka,
The Watercolorist is a disquieting metaphor about yielding control of our lives to others
and a reflection on our need for self-discovery and freedom.
Screening with El Silencio de los sapos (Venezuela)
HOW COULD I NOT LOVE YOU
como no te voy a querer
Víctor Jesús Avelar Martínez, 2007, México, 80 min, Feature, Spanish / English 7pm Sat 5 Sep
A coming of age drama about love, football and dreams.
Hugo and Julia are high school sweethearts with separate dreams and goals, but with
the same passion for soccer and their beloved team the University PUMAS. In the end,
their different personalities will lead each of them along a separate path, and both
will learn the hard way that in this life, everything has a price. This coming of age film
about love, football and dreams captures
the gritty reality of life in Mexico City.
Screening with Así Es (USA / Mexico)

MEET THE HEAD OF JUAN PEREZ
Conozca la cabeza de Juan Pérez
Emilio Portes, 2007, Mexico, 83min, Comedy, Spanish / English 9pm Sat 5 Sep
A comedy that cuts a little bit too close to the bone.
This hilarious black comedy sees B-grade magician Juan Pérez the Great hurtling
through a series of misadventures as he tries to keep his job in the circus. He promises a
sensational never-before-seen beheading act, but to pull it off, he must find a guillotine.
The trouble really starts when he breaks into a history museum to pilfer the genuine
article – a guillotine that carries a deadly curse.
Screening with Filaberto (Mexico/Cuba)
INAL MAMA, SACRED AND PROFANE
Eduardo López Zavala, 2008, Bolivia / Venezuela, 85min, Documentary, Spanish / Quechua /
Guaraní / English 2pm Sun 6 Sep
A political, visual and musical essay on the role of the coca leaf, and its by-product,
cocaine in Bolivian cultures.
Screening with - Chimbumbe (Colombia/Mexico)

AMANTES-LATIN LOVERS
4pm Sun 6 Sep
Who says Latin lovers are always macho,
young and straight? The Sydney Latin American Film Festival presents a
showcase of shorts on Latin love that defies the stereotype.
No me pidas que no lo lamento (Constanza Fernández, Chile, 14min)
Two women with different ideas on love bare their hearts to each other.
Mi torero y lo arriesgado del amor (Jose Miguel Zuniga, Chile, 30min)
Unrequited love, obsession and drag shows make for an emotionally-charged cocktail
Así está bien (Alejandro Alberto Soto Goico, Dominican Republic /Cuba, 10min)
A father struggles to reconcile his sexuality and his obligations to his family.
Atlántico (Fabio A. Meira de Sousa, Brazil/Cuba, 13min)
A touching story of two tortured souls clinging to each other for support.
Adán y Eva (Laura Muñoz, Venezuela, 14min) True love knows no age.
Screening with Túneles en el río (Argentina)
LOCAL SHORTS
230pm Sat 5 Sep
Don’t miss this diverse line-up of local films competing for the prestigious
$3000 Local Filmmakers Award.
Our local talent have covered the full spectrum of themes ranging from thoughtful
reflective pieces to comedy and horror - there’s something for every cinefile.
Memory (Alvaro D. Ruiz, 5min)
Amanecer (Alvaro D. Ruiz, 14min)
I am (Samantha Pineda, 3min)
Tico (Samantha Pineda, 2min)
Picante - a tale of mis-intiendos (Camilo
Haley, 6min)
Solid_Liquid_Gas...H2O (Alejandra
Canales, 3min)
4 Rolls (Gustavo Nazareth Faraco, 11min)
1st person (Viviana Villamar, 28min)
Trapped (Alison Plasto, 17min)

THE BEETLE KFZ-1348
Gabriel Mascaro & Marcelo Pedroso, 2008,
Brazil, 81min, Documentary, Portuguese/
English 6pm Sun 6 Sep
Follow the intriguing journey of the Beetle KFZ-1348 through 40 years of
Brazilian history.
In 1965 a young São Paulo civil engineer buys a VW Beetle. Forty years later the car ends
up in a Recife scrap yard, with the license plate KFZ-1348. Over four decades this same
little car changes hands several times: from a São Paulo businessman, to a hairdresser in
the interior of Pernambuco State. This Beetle takes on a unique meaning for each owner
as it charts various historic moments in the story of modern Brazil. The Beetle KFZ-1348
goes in search of each owner’s story, offering us a window into Brazilian society.
Screening with Hombre vs meteorito (Argentina)
RADIO CORAZON
Roberto Artiagoitia, 2007, Chile, 107min, Comedy, Spanish / English 8pm Sun 6 Sep
A stellar Chilean cast in three provocative tales of love and sex.
Radio Corazon is a top rating radio program where callers share their most intimate
secrets with host Rumpy and his listeners. Tune into the sexy, dramatic and turbulent
lives of three individuals as they share their life experiences on-air.
The Initiation: Three teenage girls swear an oath to become “women” before finishing
high school. My Daughter-in-Law: A young man is discouraged from marriage by his
friend as his wedding day approaches. His fiancée moves in with him and his mother; a
move that will forever change the close relationship shared between mother and son.
Fairy Tale: The matriarch of the aristocratic Covarrubias family has a terminal disease.
From her deathbed, she constructs an outrageous plan to take care of her family after
she’s gone.
Screening with Oda a la piña (Cuba)

WEDnesday 2ND SEP
7PM
DENDY OPERA QUAYS
city OPENING NIGHt / filmmaker Q&A / FIESTA
DESIERTO SUR
chile
THURSday 3RD SEP
6PM CUBA, the value of utopia ECUADOR/venezuela
730PM BAGATELA COLOMBIA
815PM MANUELA & MANUEL puerto rico
FRIDAY 4TH SEP
7PM LA CLASE VenezUELA
9PM rain / lluvia ARGENTINA
SATURDAY 5TH SEP
230PM Spotlight on Local Filmmakers (shorts) AUSTRALIA
5PM the watercolourist / el aCUARELISTA PERU
7PM How could i not love you / como no te voy a querer MEXICO
9PM meet the head of juan perez / conozca la cabeza de juan perez mexico
sunday 6th sep
2pm INAL MAMA - sacred and profane bolivia
4pm amantes - latin lovers (shorts) various
6pm THE BEETLE KFZ-1348 brazil
8pm RADIO CORAZON chile
monday 7th sep
6pm the healing / la curacion + discussion ecuador
tuesday 8th sep
6pm WHEN CLOUDS CLEAR + discussion ecuador
7pm city closing NIGHT Festa/ filmmaker Q&A
SAENS PENA square / Praça Saens Pena
brazil

mu-meson archives
thursday 3rd SEP
8PM filmefobia brazil
saturday 12th SEP
8PM blak mama ECUADOR
thursday 10TH SEP
7PM
casula powerhouse
casula OPENING NIGHt / FIESTA
a boyfriend for my wife / UN NOVIO PARA MI MUJER
argentina
FRIDAY 11TH SEP
6PM The circle / EL CIRCULO URUGUAY
8PM DESIERTO SUR chile
SATURDAY 12TH SEP
2pm made up memories / MENTIRAS PIADOSAS argentina
4PM agustin’s diary / EL DIARIO DE AGUSTIN chile
6PM MORENITA MEXICO
8PM kill them all / MATAR A TODOS URUGUAY/chile
sunday 13th sep
2pm PACHAMAMA BOlivia
4pm LUCANAMARCA PERU
6pm surviving guazapa / SOBREVIVIENDO GUAZAPA el salvador
8pm casula closing NIGHT film
Masángeles / POLVO NUESTRO QUE ESTAS EN EL CIELO uruguay
all films are unclassified, age restrictions apply.
for more info visit our website.

THE healing / LA CURACION
Yoni Goldstein, 2008, Ecuador / USA, 56min, Documentary, Spanish / Quechua / English
6pm Mon 7 Sep Microcinema - free entry
La Curación is an exploration of the human body as “a porous and permeable
subject” through a prism of Ecuadorian narratives, songs, and folk tales.
Consider the nature of traditional medicine through the eyes of epileptic
revolutionaries, fire-breathing shamans and poet physicians as they discuss
embodiment through politics, ritual and disease. Set against the lush volcanic vistas
of Ecuador, this unprecedented documentary covers the three distinct cultural groups
- the globalised mestizos in Quito, the Quechua-speaking indigenous people of Otavalo
and Peguche and the Afro-Ecuadorian population on the northern coast.
Join us after the film for a lively panel discussion.
WHEN CLOUDS CLEAR
Danielle Bernstein & Anne Slick, 2008, USA / Ecuador, 77min, Documentary, Spanish / English
6pm Tue 8 Sep Microcinema - free entry
When Clouds Clear recounts one remote community’s radical resistance to a proposed
copper mine that threatened to destroy their way of life forever. As two mining
companies become increasingly brazen in their attempts to infiltrate and control the
remote town of Junín in northern Ecuador, the community forms a united resistance
in order to survive. Still, some citizens are wooed by promises of wealth, causing
irreparable divisions between families and friends. Suddenly these once peaceful
farmers find themselves thrust into a dangerous world of corruption, splintered
households, murder and arson as they fight to protect their land and families.
Join us afterwards for an engaging panel discussion.

SAENS PENA SQUARE / Praça Saens Pena
Vinicius Reis, 2008, Brazil, 100min, Feature, Portuguese / English 7pm Tue 8 Sep
The film that swept awards this year at Recife, Brazil.
It’s all relatively straightforward at the beginning - Paulo works as a high school teacher,
his wife Teresa is the local shopkeeper, and their daughter Bel is still at school. They
live in a rented flat in Saens Peña Square, in the heart of Tijuca, a neighborhood in Rio
de Janeiro. That all changes when Paolo receives an unexpected and alluring job offer
which has the potential to have a profound effect on the routine of his family and
even jeopardise his 20-year marriage. Set in early 2003, the story plays out against the
backdrop of Lula’s first term as President of Brazil and the US invasion of Iraq.
Meet the filmmaker and join us for pre-screening drinks and samba in the cinema foyer.

FILMefOBIA
Kiko Goifman, 2008, Brazil / Germany, 80min, Portuguese / English
Screening & supper @ Mu-Meson Archives, 8pm Thu 3 Sep
A startling insight into phobias that push human limits.
Filmefobia is the ‘making-of’ a fictitious documentary that explores fear and the limits of
the human psyche in contemporary society. The filmmaker of the fictious documentary,
Jean-Claude Bernardet, believes that the only authentic and truthful image is that of a
human being in direct confrontation with his or her phobia. Arachnophobia, airplane
phobia, thalassophobia (fear of the sea), snake phobia, blood phobia, aichmophobia
(the fear of sharp or pointed objects), pigeon phobia, penetration phobia – even button
phobia. The question at the very heart of this mock-making-of is whether the film itself
is the product of a phobia.
Screening with Llueve (Venezuela)
BLAK MAMA
Miguel Alvear, 2009, Ecuador, 95min, Fantasy, Spanish / English
Screening & supper @ Mu-Meson Archives, 8pm Sat 12 Sep
A wildly surreal extravaganza of imagery, inspired by the traditional Ecuadorian
celebration of “La Mama Negra”.
Three paper recyclers - Blak, his mistress Bambola and their friend I Don Dance - squat
in an abandoned terrace in the outskirts of an Andean city. One night, two fantastic
beings, Exterminating Angel and Moon Captain, guide the recyclers to The Door of
Forgiveness where they pay tribute to an enigmatic female deity - the Virgin Wolf. The
recyclers undergo an initiation and a series of mysterious transformations on a journey
that takes many unexpected twists and turns.

A Boyfriend for my Wife
Un novio para mi mujer
Juan Taratuto, 2008, Argentina, 96min, Comedy, Spanish / English 7pm Thu 10 Sep
Argentina’s biggest box office hit of 2008.
El Tenso does not know how to tell his wife, La Tana, that he wants a divorce. La Tana
has an opinion on everything, and it seems there’s nothing that fails to raise her ire
- the weather, the government, horoscopes, the neighbours, the young, and the elderly.
Tenso can’t take it any more, so when his friend convinces him to enlist the services of
a renowned local ‘Lothario’ to get his wife to walk out on him, he jumps at the chance,
only to find things don’t work out quite as he planned.
Join us @ the Casula Powerhouse for our Opening Night Fiesta celebrations
after the film.
The Circle /El Círculo
José Pedro Charlo & Aldo Garay, 2008, Uruguay / Germany / Argentina / Chile, 92min,
Documentary, Spanish / English 6pm Fri 11 Sep
Award-winning documentary about how one Uruguayan leftist survived
solitary confinement during the dirty war.
The story of former Tupamaro guerilla fighter, Henry Engler, whose prolonged
confinement and torture during the Uruguayan dictatorship led to a mental
breakdown. Today Dr. Engler is a Swedish citizen and a scientist renowned for his
research into Alzheimer’s disease. In this impressive documentary, the scientist visits the
places of his painful past, painting an intimate
and disturbing portrait of prison life under the
dictatorship.
Screening with Cubama (Colombia)

MADE UP MEMORIES
MENTIRAS PIADOSAS
Diego Sabanés, 2008, Argentina / Spain, Feature, 100min, Spanish / English 2pm Sat 12 Sep
A black comedy about white lies.
Based on a short story by well-known Argentine writer Julio Cortázar, this is a story
about a web of white lies spun by two siblings to avoid telling their ailing mother that
her favourite son has vanished after a trip to Paris. This evocative film set in 1950’s
Argentina, keeps the audience wondering about Pablo’s disappearance, while the
family tries to preserve the past at the expense of their personal desires.
Screening with Anciedades, Ancianos, Anciosos (Argentina)
AGUSTIN’S JOURNAL / EL DIARIO DE AGUSTIN
Ignacio Aguero, 2008, Chile, 80min, Documentary, Spanish / English 4pm Sat 12 Sep
A multi-award winning documentary that questions the power of Chile’s
most influential newspaper.
A group of students at the University of Chile investigate how Chile’ s most influential
newspaper El Mercurio manipulated information to hide human rights violations
carried out during Pinochet’s dictatorship. Agustin’s Journal is the first film that dares to
touch upon the power of El Mercurio and of Chilean media mogul Agustin Edwards, the
newspaper’s owner.
Screening with Cuarentena (Argentina)

MORENITA
Alan Jonsson, 2008, Mexico, 92min, Feature,
Spanish / English 6pm Sat 12 Sep
A riveting tale that juxtaposes the danger and majestic beauty of Mexico
Homing pigeons, drug lords and the Virgin of Guadalupe all come into play in Morenita.
Add familial ties and the testing of one’s faith and the result is an extraordinary film.
Mateo Cruz, desperate to save his family from a notorious drug dealer, causes absolute
pandemonium when he kidnaps Mexico’s and Latin America’s most adored religious
icon, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and demands a ransom!
The unexpected and complicated chain of events that follow show how desperation
can take even the best of us to our darkest side. With top-notch acting and stunning
production design, Morenita feeds the heart and the mind.
Screening with Plegarias Atendidas (Colombia)
KILL THEM ALL /MATAR A TODOS
Esteban Schroeder, 2007, Germany / Chile / Uruguay, 97min, Feature, Spanish / English
8pm Sat 12 Sep A tense political thriller about the aftermath of the dirty wars
in Uruguay and Chile.
Julia Gudari is investigating the kidnapping of Berrios, a Chilean chemist wanted by the
international authorities in connection with crimes committed by the Pinochet regime.
Everything seems to indicate that the Uruguayan army is holding the man to prevent
him from giving evidence as a witness. Julia, who was kidnapped and tortured during
the Uruguayan dictatorship, is afraid that her father, General Gudari, is involved in the
case. Amid the pressure and threats, Julia realises that if she wants to know the truth,
she’ll have to dig into her past and overcome
her fears.
Screening with P.B (Venezuela) +
Hombre de la Bolsa (Argentina)

PACHAMAMA
Toshifumi Matsushita, 2008, Bolivia/ Japan, 104min, Feature, Quechua/ English 2pm Sun 13 Sep
A charming coming-of-age story in the Quechua language.
When the caravan arrives at the town of Macha where the Tinku festival is taking place,
Kunturi’s life is changed forever. There he finds Ulala, the most beautiful girl he can
imagine. Kunturi and Ulala feel the stirrings of first love as they share the same dream:
to run together across the immense white sea of Salar de Uyuni until they reach the end
of the horizon.
Screening with Plumas y Acero (Costa Rica)
LUCANAMARCA
Carlos Cárdenas y Héctor Gálvez, 2008, Peru, 70min, Documentary, Spanish / Quechua / English
4pm Sun13 Sep A documentary that matters - a remote mountain community
comes to terms with a painful memory.
Santiago de Lucanamarca, a remote farming community in the Peruvian Andes, is
shaken by the arrival of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They have come
to open the tombs of the 69 people who died in the massacre of April 3, 1983. Now,
twenty years later, there is a chance to close old wounds, but there is mistrust on the
streets of the town. “Aren’t we all Peruvians?” someone asks. The history of Lucanamarca
shows us how elusive justice can be.
Screening with La Oroya Aire Metálico (Peru)

SURVIVING GUAZAPA
SOBREVIVIENDO
GUAZAPA
Roberto Davila, 2008, El Salvador, 113min,
Feature, Spanish / English 6pm Sun 13 Sep
The first Salvadoran-made feature film about the civil war.
Opposing forces, a government soldier and a guerrilla are trapped together in the
heavily-bombed area around the Guazapa volcano. After a hostile meeting, an unlikely
friendship develops between the two. When they come across a lost girl in the jungle,
they decide to take her back to her family, and the odd trio find themselves having to
look out for each other.
MASANGELES
POLVO NUESTRO QUE ESTAS EN LOS CIELOS
Beatriz Flores Silva, 2008, Uruguay / Belgium / Switzerland / Chile / Cuba, 123min, Comedy,
Spanish/ English 8pm Sun 13 Sep
An epic drama about a dysfunctional family, guerilla dreams and military
repression.
A period drama set in mid-1960s Uruguay, the story begins when leading politician
Aurelio Saavedra brings home seven-year-old Masángeles, his illegitimate child, after
the unexpected suicide of her mother. She finds herself growing up in a neurotic
household ruled by a self-centered tyrant while
outside, Uruguay teeters on the brink of civil
war. Everyone is wrapped up in themselves,
except for Masángeles, who does the best she
can to adapt to her surroundings.

FESTIVAL PARTNER
AUDIENCE AWARD SPONSOR
PASSIONATE SPONSORS
FESTIVAL SUPPORTERS
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FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL
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(03) 9388 0488
Mini-Mag • All Rights Reserved • 2009 • #13620
55% RECYCLED + VEGE INKS & SOY VARNISH

EVENT SPONSORS
CULTURAL SUPPORTERS
VENUE SUPPORTERS
MIL GRACIAS
The crew of the Sydney Latin American Film Festival would like to thank the artistic and business communities
of Sydney for their ongoing support of this non-profit event.
Diego Ruiz, Carlos Urunga, Fernando Andres, Victor Monasterio, Café Sur, Bravo Linguista & DJ DreadJuan, DJ
Spex, DJ DubChaman, Hosanna Heinrich & Federico Matiuzzi, Ruth de Jesus & Brazil Brasil show, Angela, Nova
Sol & Hispanic Artistic Expression, Vincent Sebastian, Bamboleo, Buenavista Dance, My Sauce Good, Son Veneno
and Jorge Carmona, Leonardo Ricagni, Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti, Dave Gravina @ Digital Eskimo, Estela
Valverde & Caroline Trotman @ Macquarie University, Dilip Kanitkar @ Campbelltown Art Supplies, Carlos M.
Biell @ Campbelltown City Lawyers, Roberto Orellana @ Mayan Coffee, Nicolas Godoy @ Panavision, Lion D’or
Confiteria, Oscar Aguilar @ Hola Hispanos, Ruben Fernandez & Luis Gonzalez @ Spanish Program - SBS Radio,
Fernanda Peñaloza & Vek Lewis @ SURCLA, Carlos & all @ NSW SLASA, Casa Latinoamericana, Australia Cuba
Friendship Society (ACFS), Linda Mirabilio, Jorge Echevarria, Cristina Dio @ Diaspora, Jamie & Aspa @ Mu-Meson
Archives, the staff @ Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre & Dendy Opera Quays, Eastside Arts, The (Irish) Gaelic Club,
Campbelltown Uniting Church, Sydney Theatre Company.
City of Sydney, The Hon. Paul Lynch MP, Arturo Delgado Fuentes (Embassy of Mexico in Australia), Abelardo
Curbelo (Embassy of Cuba in Australia) Alessandra Vinhas & Marcia Monje de Castro (Consulate-General of Brazil),
Marcelo Salas Reginato (ProChile Chilean Trade Commission), Andres Pelaez (Embassy of Uruguay), Megan
Hammond (Australian Embassy, Chile), Alejandro Díaz San Vicente @ Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía,
Jessy Vega Eslava @ CCC Mexico, Darrel Perez Bolivar @ CNAC Venezuela, Cira Ines Mora (Ministerio de Cultura,
Colombia), Azdruval Figueroa (Embassy of Venezuela in Australia).
The Sydney Latin American Film Festival crew: Aurelia Gallardo, Ana Grassi, Beth Hetherington, Chris Johns,
Claire McClure, Davor Opacek, Emma Lees, Esther Lozano, Fernando Cazar, Fieke Geerts, Giselle Gallego, Jacque
Andres, Jackie Alva, Kavita Bedford, Laura Luna, Lidia Luna, Mark Taylor, Nico Pustilnick, Rachael Hetherington,
Reem Al-Gharabally, Sarah Gilbert.
International Liaison Officers: Nestor Granda (Argentina), Lucia Barrera (Chile), Vanessa Morillo Luna (Europe),
Jesús A. Meza (Venezuela), Adrian Arce (Mexico)
Festival Design: Mark Taylor (Design), Hunmi Yi & Tiffany Faulder (Graphics) , Davor Opacek , Lidia Luna, Chris
Johns (Trailer), Chris Gaul, Bo Daley, Jeremy Epstein (Web Development & Design).
To the many individuals and organisations who offer their time and resources freely we truly thank you. An
enormous ‘thank you’ to the many volunteers who have injected their time, energy and passion into producing
the Festival. To our families and friends and to those who have offered advice and assistance along the way ...
muchas gracias.

DENDY OPERA QUAYS
Shop 92 East Circular Quay Sydney
02 9247 3800 www.dendy.com.au
Opening Night - Australian Premiere
Filmmaker Q&A, pre-screening
entertainment + Vivaz Fiesta
Adult $45 / Concession $40
Single session
Adult $15 / Concession $12
Dendy Opera Quays 3 session pass
(excluding Opening Night + Closing
Night)
Adult $39 / Concession $30
Closing Night - Australian Premiere
Filmmaker Q&A + pre-screening
entertainment + drinks
Adult $25 / Concession $20
Microcinema
Entry by donation. Entry on a first-come,
first served basis.
Mu-Meson Archives
Cnr Parramatta Rd & Trafalgar St
Annandale www.mumeson.org
All tix: $10 includes supper
(Tix only available through moshtix
or at the door)
Casula
Powerhouse
1 Casula Road, Casula, 02 9824 1121
www.casulapowerhouse.com
Opening Night - Australian
Premiere
Film + Fiesta
Adult $28 / Concession $22
Single session
Adult $12 / Concession $8
Casula Powerhouse 3 session pass
(excluding Opening Night)
Adult $30 / Concession $18
Bookings
Please note booking fees apply - see general ticketing information for details.
Online: moshtix.com
Phone: Moshtix: 1300 438 849
In Person: Through venue box office, check venues for opening times. Cash only at
Mu-Meson, tickets available from the venue 30 minutes before each session.
3 Session passes: Available in person from the venues and are not transferable across
venues. Films must be selected at time of purchase.
Eligible concessions: Club Dendy members, full time students (photo ID required),
senior citizens, pensioners, health care card holders and children under 16 years of age
(check film classifications).
General Ticketing Information
• Payment using all major credit cards
• Booking fees apply to Moshtix sales, to tickets purchased by phone, online or at box
office with Casula Powerhouse, and by phone via Dendy
• Venues are wheelchair accessible
• Festival tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable
• Lost or stolen tickets cannot be replaced or refunded
• All seating is unreserved (except where otherwise stated)
• All films are unclassified, age restrictions apply. Check Festival website for details.
We urge patrons to purchase tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Program
information is correct at the time of publication and the Festival regretfully reserves
the right to withdraw, change and replace program information without notice. Please
check www.sydneylatinofilmfestival.org prior to the event for up to date information.