Discoveries from Venezuela World Cinema

A conversation between Rolando Peña and Iván Loscher during the construction of the Caracas subway. "La Cotorra No. 2" is a very personal, humorous rehearsal of the current communications of our societies as well as ours.

A true story where the magical and the supernatural come together to make everything happen.

Is it possible to use sound to travel through time and experience the fate of other people? This story of a sound engineer studying recordings of war conflicts from the past transports viewers smack dab in the middle of a ravenous rampage where the horrors of the past come to the fore. The film also presents a philosophical reflection on the role that sound plays in our world. The film was developed on the program of the AAMOD Premio Zavattini.

After the death of his father, young Pedro Pérez Delgado (Maisanta) becomes the man of the house. To help support his mother and sister, he begins working for Colonel Macías, who betrays his trust by courting his sister Petra despite being married, dishonoring the family name—a family honor his father had asked him to defend at any cost. Amid stories of love, betrayal, and vengeance, the figure of Maisanta is forged. The fair-skinned, blond-haired boy whom many called “The American” would eventually become a legend, known by his battle cry: Maisanta!

Two key men in the iron industry face off.

Venezuelan podcast 'El Cuartico' presents an anthology of five horror stories for Halloween 2022: 'The husband-stealing veneca', 'High returns in a short time', 'The period', 'The passport serial killer' & 'Santi'

Ana gets accepted in college, but she is unsure of her future. Her best friend, María, gifts her a special brownie, which causes some unfortunately events. Then, Ana receives some mysterious messages with confusing leads.

Film by Armando W. Tamburella.

Venezuelan documentary that centers on Luis del Valle Hurtado, an artist from Cumaná, one of the first European settlements in the Americas, who, for over three decades, has embodied the Diablo de Cumaná (Cumaná Devil) during annual festivities. Del Valle's performance is a fusion of Indigenous, Spanish, and African influences, where he transforms into a drumming, dancing black Satan. His portrayal draws inspiration from various sources, including the myth of Saint Michael the Archangel, the behavior of cats—animals often linked to witchcraft—and his own dreams, creating a unique and personal interpretation of the devil. Through this ritualistic dance, the documentary delves into themes of cultural syncretism, identity, and the enduring power of traditional expressions in Venezuela.

A politically charged film, where a series of archetypal characters are presented.

Animation inspired by an ancient Yekuana indigenous myth, it narrates the creation of women and men.

A wealthy uncle dies suddenly. Everyone mourns his unexpected departure, but more for the diamond in his tie than for his sudden absence.

Short film by Diego Rísquez.

Documentary that narrates the evolution of Maracaibo during the 20th century

Evocation of the human presence and art of the painter Bárbaro Rivas.

A journey to the origins through the encounter with the muleteers, farmers, artisans and artists of the Venezuelan Andes.

The lives of four young people will suffer an unexpected twist during a walk through venezuela when they decide to visit the famous houffer hotel, an abandoned hotel more than seven thousand feet high. Unfortunately, due to an incident, they are forced to spend the whole night in this place. The disappearance of people, the distrust that begins to emerge between them, the appearance of other people, and a theory about life after death, are events that lead us to an unexpected end that will change the way of thinking of anyone witness to this story.

An attempt to encapsulate an encounter through time between a mother and her son. Through a third entity, two subjects can meet, understand and recognize each other as human beings, with personal and shared passions, through the vastness of time.

video art about growing up and the longing for childhood available on YouTube

A conversation between Rolando Peña and Iván Loscher during the construction of the Caracas subway. "La Cotorra No. 2" is a very personal, humorous rehearsal of the current communications of our societies as well as ours.

A farmer aspires to marry the daughter of the local aristocrats, but she think he's beneath her. It take a long time for things to settle into a groove so life can run smoothly again for all concerned.

Rosa (Carlota Sosa), a perfectionist, controlling and structured lawyer and mother, meticulously prepares her solitary birthday dinner while anticipation grows for the possible arrival of an unexpected visitor.

Two days in the life of six kids who work for Omar, a dwarf, in a huge garbage dump outside of Caracas where they scrounge bottles, paper, cloth, and whatever they can find to recycle.

An exhausted video editor lives the same day over and over again. Whatever he does, he is trapped in a time loop in his suffocating office job.

Film by Julio Neri.

This anthology film consists of three parts: "Story One: The story of the brave man", "Story Two: Angels Rhythm" and "Story Three: The false office of supernumerary". The first story tells of a man desperate to get money to cure the illness of his daughter. The second story tells the adventures of a gang of youths; and finally, the third story tells of corruption in Congress.

An adaptation of Juan Ramón Jiménez “Platero y yo”, by experimental animation artist José Castillo.

A film director shows a friend two shorts that prove the advancement of a film industry in Venezuela. One of the first examples of sound film in Venezuela.

Imagen de Caracas was an experimental film spectacle, directed by Jacobo Borges and Mario Robles in 1968 for the 400 anniversary of the foundation of Caracas. It needed more than 48768 meters of film and 5000 actors.

Caracas, 1969. In the midst of the pacification of the guerrillas, Simón is contacted by a friend from his past to hide Cáceres, a sick guerrilla fighter, in his house. The two's time together will create a special and unexpected friendship.

El transporte de su trabajo deja a Samantha en la esquina de su casa. Es de noche, la calle está lejos y solitaria. Tiene que caminar unos metros para llegar a la puerta del edificio donde vive. Samantha is left by her job's transport at the corner of her house. It's late night, the street is far and lonely. She has to walk a few meters to get to the door of the building where she lives.

Television is one of the themes in T.V.O., which tells the story of a lonely woman’s interaction with the contraption. “The dog is no longer man’s best friend; now it’s television,” Castillo said in a conversation with the author of this article. The character is played by Mimí Lazo, one of the country’s most prominent actresses and a Venezuelan sex symbol. The film toys with this stereotype as regards the vicarious satisfaction given by romance and sex on screen. The other theme, linked to loneliness, is developmentalism: the main character lives in Parque Central, a middle-class housing complex whose residential buildings were finished in 1972 and became a symbol of well-being on the brink of the oil boom. (Pablo Gamba)

An approximation to Venezuelan kinetic artists Jesús Soto and Carlos Cruz-Diez.

Venezuelan movie directed by Juan Corona.

A gang of young people falls into a world of violence and drugs.

A look back at our project's short existence through interviews and statements from our team and live performances of some of the songs on NUESTRA, covers of Manú Chao and The Crickets, and an early version of Hornos de Cal (an unreleased song).

This documentary film shows the physical expansion, demographic growth and changes in the way of life of the city of Caracas throughout the 20th century. It is undoubtedly a contribution to rescuing the memory of the capital of Venezuela

Amanda discovers Erasmo’s infidelity and grapples with doing what she believes is right.

An experimental music artist meets again with her ex-girlfriend after years without seeing her.

The year 1890. Lazaro, a painter in search of transcendence, makes a pact with the devil to achieve a tenebrist painting.

A passionate monologue about sexuality as imagined by a Venezuelan drag queen.

Two Venezuelan-American siblings residing in New York are unable to physically attend their grandfather's funeral due to the collapse of their home country, so they decide to attend online.

Helena faces her sister in a tough battle for her mother's love. The enormous force of her blows make her "La Ruda", a promise of boxing that arouses admiration and envy.

Feature film by John Dickinson.

Gilberto, a young man from the countryside, arrives in the city with the aim of carving out a future for himself. Initially he is dazzled by the sparkling image of the city, the spoiler of civilization, which will batter him until his personality undergoes a radical change.

Based on a true Story, The Tomb tells the story of Ricardo, Luis y Mateo, 3 student leaders imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela

'CAP Unpublished' is a documentary that brings us closer to the humanity of Carlos Andrés Pérez, in the days when history seemed to abandon him. Times during which he analyzed the critical situation that democracy was experiencing at the end of the 1990s. Documentary film with an incredibly rich recollection of exclusive footage from 1998-1999, the film portrays the complicated life after the downfall of one of Venezuela’s most significant leaders from its democratic period: Carlos Andrés Pérez (CAP)

Three and a half years of research and production, without a budget, are condensed into this documentary made with a cell phone. A solid, well-argued script and carefully crafted photography connect emotionally with the audience to help them understand what happened to Maracaibo. Once Venezuela's second most important city, contributing a third of the country's oil revenues, it ceased to be the Land of the Beloved Sun. What happened? Who is responsible? What do its citizens propose to make it the most beautiful city again? The documentary consists of three parts with 30 interviews: 1.- Golden Morocotas: Genesis of a port city 2.- Labyrinth of appearances: present of survival 3.- Cry of glory: rational hope

Poetry film based on "El regalo" by Honduran writer Clementina Suárez.

Men of Sand is a documentary proposition which promotes in the viewer an objective approach to the ‘real-imaginary’, which persists and is a never-ending astonishment in the life and sensibility of the men and women of the Venezuelan llanos. A respectful visit which leads us to the unearthing of these human beings, inhabitants of a bifurcation in the paths of time, between what is and what will perhaps be.

Four windsurfers dream of winning the Windsurfing World Championship and becoming heroes. Financial problems, lack of recognition, family crisis and even the death of relatives are just some of the obstacles they must encounter on their way to success. An intimate portrait filmed throughout four years that reveals the human side of high-level athletes, from the privacy of their homes in a small fishing town in Margarita Island to the most exuberant locations in 5 countries.

In this Venezuelan drama about a llanero (a man of the plains) the symbol of an untamable horse is used to parallel the man's inability to be "tamed" by the big city of Caracas, by his iron-fisted feudal overlord, or by the overlord's obnoxious son and his friends. A few critics have felt that director Joaquín Cortés might have achieved a better depiction of class differences with a slightly softer touch.

Short animation film by Ricardo Jabardo on police violence.

Bromelia dreams of a love for the rest of her life, while sewing trousseaus in her mother's bridal shop. When Pedro finally arrives, the love he yearns for so much will bring forth captivating and unexpected experiences.

Walls, windows, curtains, and furniture evoke the sounds of a traveler's childhood who comes back home to remember everything that's gone and the people that will soon be gone. The story of a migrant willing to leave his new life behind to see his father for the last time.

The exclusive hour-long "Making Of" the Simón movie, where you can see behind-the-scenes footage and hear interviews with the cast and crew and never-before-seen scenes that didn't make it in the movie