This is how Latin America stood out at Sundance

The 2022 edition of the Sundance Festival, the most important event in the industry dedicated to independent cinema, has come to an end. In an environment still overshadowed by the global situation, the organizers presented a remote format that allowed the various productions to reach the public. Of course, Latin America was present and prominently.

“Utama”, the jewel in the crown for the region

The co-production of Bolivia, France, and Uruguay, “Utama”, won one of the most important prizes at the Sundance Festival, the jury prize in the international section. Directed by the Bolivian Alejandro Loayza, “Utama” is a debut film that takes us to an arid region of Bolivia where Sisa and Virginio live, a lonely elderly couple who must face their physical illness, but also that of the environment. Themes such as loneliness, migration, climate change, resilience, and love are part of the journey that this successful film takes us on.

Independent Latin American cinema stands out for resorting to social issues, so “Utama” is no exception, it even goes further by giving space to people with no acting experience, as is the case of the couple who star in the story. In addition, it also gives space to the Quechua language, a decision that gives a better context to the story, as well as other films such as the Peruvian “Wiñaypacha” and “Retablo” spoken in the same language.

Alejandro Loayza’s film competed with nine other international films for the jury prize, including three from Latin America: the Mexican “Dos Estaciones” by Juan Pablo González, the Brazilian “Marte Um” by Gabriel Martins, and the Chilean “La vaca que cantó una canción hacia el future”, the latter the only Latin American directed by a woman: Francisca Alegría. The Chilean director has a track record at the festival because according to La Tercera, in 2017 she won an award for her short film “Y todo el cielo cupo en el ojo de la vaca muerta”. Without a doubt, the festival has opened doors for her in the industry. The filmmaker is also preparing a series adaptation of Isabel Allende’s novel: “La casa de los espíritus” starring Eva Longoria, who makes her directorial debut at the current edition of the Festival de Sundance.

Latin America in other categories

The participation of Latin American cinema is not limited to the four previous films, it is also present in other categories. The documentary “The Territory” by Alex Pritz is a co-production between Brazil, Denmark, and the United States that narrates the struggle of the Brazilian indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau to prevent Brazilian farmers from taking over their Amazonian lands, not just because they belong territorial, but because of its ecological importance.

Also participated in Sundance Two Mexican short films “Al motociclista no le cabe la felicidad en el traje” and “La baláhna”, both with themes related to the indigenous, the first makes a critical reflection on the conquerors and the second on a ritual of some communities of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. Added to these shorts are the Cuban “Tundra” and the Brazilian “Uma paciência selvagem me trouxe até aqui” (“A wild patience brought me here”).

Participating in the animated short film was “La odisea espeleológica de Sócrates”, a Mexican short about the famous allegory of Plato’s cave, and “Bestia”, a Chilean short about a secret agent during the dictatorship. Finally, in the New Frontier category, dedicated to multimedia productions and technological innovations, the selection of the Brazilian documentary short film “Flat Earth VR” by Lucas Rizzotto created for virtual reality stood out.

Also read: No surprises: Why is the Oscar guaranteed to “Encanto”?

The panorama of independent Latin American cinema

Like other festivals, Sundance is also a meeting point for various agents involved in the film industry. For example, Apple closed a distribution contract for 15 million dollars for the tape “Cha Cha Real Smooth” for its streaming platform, according to Deadline. In the same way Netflix, Sony, and Warner, among others, have acquired rights to distribute other festival productions.

The only Latin American that has so far been acquired in this market is the Brazilian, Danish and American co-production “The Territory” described above. The producers of the documentary reached an agreement with National Geographic. However, most Latin American productions have been relegated from the big distributors and streaming platforms. If “Utama” follows a good path in the upcoming festivals and continues to win awards, we could see it on a platform like Netflix.

This is the reality of independent Latin American cinema, despite being able to compete in the industry on a creative level, it is not usually able to do so on a marketing or distribution level, its exhibition will be limited to national cinemas, and possibly we will be able to see the productions in the region through film weeks dedicated to these countries and agreements between film academies. Similarly, its success at the national level is not guaranteed either, the interest of Latin Americans in their own cinema is far from that of Hollywood productions.