Biarritz Latin America Festival: the return of the party

On the programming side, he also announces a fundamental change: “We have heard some discontent about the selection of films for the last two editions. That of this year should correspond more to the expectations of the public. “Between fleshy and colorful programming and the return of the party without a mask, without a gauge and without a health pass, there is indeed enough to start again on promising bases.

The party in the village

The nerve center of the festival, the Festival Village is open to everyone, as every year, and free of charge in the interior spaces and on the terrace of the Municipal Casino with its dishes from the South American continent and craft stands, its DJ sets and free concerts ( every evening from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.) and dance initiation classes at aperitif time (tango, bachata, samba, salsa de Cuba, etc.).

“This is the first time in two years that we will operate normally”

You can come and taste the dishes of the South American continent, dance and listen to music while taking advantage of the multitude of craft stands. This year, the festival, which has always welcomed many middle and high school students, is strengthening its offer for the youngest from the age of 5 with numerous workshops related to Latin American culture: storytelling, introduction to percussion and capoeira, making piñatas or jewelry (upon registration).

Choice jurors

Each edition, the jurors of the festival distinguish the best films via various prizes and “Abrazos”, the name of the statuettes given to the winners. A novelty this year: a Biarrots prize will be awarded by a jury made up of inhabitants of the city.

For the main category – fiction feature films – director Éric Lartigau will lead the deliberations. The filmmaker is particularly known for his enormous popular success, “The Aries Family”, whose remake “Coda” has just won three Oscars in Hollywood. At his side, Éléonore Bernheim, actress in the series “The Art of Crime” (France 2) and the actor Rufus. Director and screenwriter César Diaz (Gold Camera at Cannes in 2019 for “Nuestras Madres”) will chair the short film jury. In the documentary category, Nicolas Philibert, the multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker (Being and Having) will hold this position.

Movies of all genres

Enthusiastic, the new general delegate, who concocted the menu in collaboration with his predecessor, wants to whet the appetite with films whose diversity should “make an audience who does not come looking for demanding cinema” want to push the door of the BAL halls: “Tarantino-style action comedy” (“Punto Rojo”, Argentina); “fantastic” (Huesera, Peru); a “shock film” (“La hija de todas las Rabias”, Nicaragua); “social cinema” (“El suplente, Argentina”); “trial film” (“Argentina”, Argentina) . Here is a (very) quick overview of the forty or so works in the selection.

To this must be added the roughly twenty films screened as part of the focus on Brazil, the country honored at the BAL. A selection concocted by one of the most brilliant filmmakers in the country, Kleber Menonça Filho, author in particular of “Aquarius” in the running for the Palme d’or at Cannes in 2016 and awarded the jury prize in Biarritz or Bacarau (Prix of the jury at Cannes in 2019).

Featured writer Leonardo Padura

If the literary meetings of the festival give a large place to Brazil, it is the great Cuban writer Leonardo Padura who will be the star. He will discuss with the public on Wednesday, September 28 at 3 p.m. at the municipal casino. Author of a dozen successful thrillers, he has also been awarded many times for his novels (“The Man Who Loved Dogs”; “Heretics”; “Dust in the Wind”). Several of his works have been adapted for the screen. He notably co-wrote “Return to Ithaca” with director Laurent Cantet, Abrazo for best film at Biarritz in 2014.