- All screenings of the Contemporary Latin American Film Festival and “Territorios Paraguay” are free of charge, subject to venue capacity.
The Preámbulo program of the Costa Rican Film Center under the Ministry of Culture and Youth presents a new edition of the Contemporary Latin American Film Festival and Territorios Paraguay. From June 28 to 31, the Gómez Miralles screening room will host a representative selection of Latin American and Paraguayan cinema, featuring titles spanning different eras, styles, and themes.
The festival opens on Wednesday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. with Los hijos del último jardín (2004), a Bolivian fiction film directed by Jorge Sanjinés. Set during the turbulent days of Black February, the film tells the story of five young friends who, tired of corruption and lack of opportunities, decide to take justice into their own hands. United by football, they plan a robbery at the home of a shady congressman—but things don’t go as expected. This screening is suitable for audiences aged 15 and up, and the film lasts 98 minutes.
On Thursday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m., the festival presents Matar a un muerto (2019), a co-production between Paraguay, Argentina, and France, directed by Hugo Giménez. This powerful fiction film, set in 1978 during Paraguay’s military dictatorship, follows two men who clandestinely bury corpses in the forest. One day, they find among the dead a man who is still breathing. Though they know they must kill him, they’ve never taken a life before. The film runs for 87 minutes and is rated for viewers 18 and older.
On Friday, June 30 at 7:00 p.m., the festival screens Boreal (2022), directed by Federico Adorno. This 87-minute Paraguayan fiction, suitable for ages 15 and up, tells the story of Benjamín, a young man struggling to adapt to his job working with wire fences. As he waits for days for the Mennonite boss, the other workers begin to sense that something strange and exhausting is taking hold of the Paraguayan Chaco.
The Saturday, June 31 lineup begins at 5:00 p.m. with El pueblo (1968), an experimental film directed by Carlos Saguier. This movie, considered a recovered gem of Paraguayan cinema, offers an almost documentary-style look at the hardships of rural Paraguay. With a runtime of 50 minutes and suitable for all audiences, El pueblo is a visual synthesis of Paraguayan idiosyncrasy.
Finally, on Saturday, June 31 at 7:00 p.m., the festival concludes with El tiempo nublado (2014), a documentary directed by Arami Ullón and produced between Paraguay and Switzerland. Lasting 92 minutes and suitable for audiences aged 12 and up, the film sensitively addresses the universal dilemma of caring for aging parents. The director is torn between staying in Paraguay to care for her ailing mother or continuing her life in Europe, in an intimate exploration of love, autonomy, and family responsibilities.
All screenings of the Contemporary Latin American Film Festival are free of charge, subject to venue capacity.
This showcase is an invitation to discover new realities of our region through films that engage with the social, historical, and personal contexts of their characters. The Costa Rican Film Center, part of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, reaffirms its commitment to the promotion of Latin American cinema and the dissemination of high-quality cultural content.
