It takes hours, days and years to talk about Venezuelan cinema. The subject of Venezuelan cinema is incredibly broad, but why?
Let me tell you; Im not a critic, neither a student of audiovisuals, much less an actress, but something I undoubtedly have is an inexhaustible obsession for cinema, and if it is Venezuelan, even more so!
In this opportunity I come to recommend (according to my own vision and exercise) what for me so far seen are the films and documentaries that have marked me during my life, I would also like to name some characters, directors and directors of Venezuelan cinema of which I have been able to appreciate some gems, it is true that many critics around the world can say that the cinema of our country tells mostly stories of violence, crime and misery, certainly yes, it is a reality that plagues us for many years, at different levels and times; But it is not all, I have been so amazed with some incredible scripts and some stories based on real facts that I can’t say that Venezuelan cinema is all misery and blood.
I forgot to tell you that this humble article I am writing today is to pay tribute to Venezuelan cinema since January 28th is its National Day here in Venezuela.
So, let’s recommend it!
I admit that Im quite a fan of documentary films because in a way they are real events told in some occasions by their own protagonists, a feeling of truth, of investigation, of incredible work is what this kind of films leave you, I start by recommending the last documentary I saw so far, called: “El Silencio de las Moscas” by director Eliezer Arias from the year 2013, it was quite difficult to see this film because for the date of its release I was not aware, it was a recommendation from a friend and curiosity gnawed me, this dramatic story about apparently mysterious suicides in an extremely quiet town, where people live from cultivation, between field and sowing, hiding depressive problems mostly young people, teenagers, with a still latent machismo, ingrained customs that cause conflict in the minds of these victims, a sad story, raw but real and deserves to be heard, I never expected to hear these stories from such a quiet place, highly recommended.
Another movie that I find very interesting is “El regreso” directed by Patricia Ortega from 2013 and is based on real events, clearly this movie has strong scenes of violence and indignation but the story grabs you from beginning to end, is very detailed with respect to the Wayuu indigenous traditions, telling the story between a mother and her daughter in the midst of a land conflict against the Colombian guerrillas, really a gem of a movie.
I recently saw a movie that my sister recommended to me, I admit that I hesitated a little to see it because the synopsis explained that there were 4 young people from the upper class of the great Caracas and I thought it was empty, however, I underestimated and when I finished watching it I was totally amazed, the incredible story, the suspense and the psychological game were to not take off the screen before the end, “Jezabel” directed by Hernan Jabes of the year 2022 for me another great jewel that has given us the Venezuelan cinema, see it without a doubt.
To continue recommending, this text will be very long, but I want to leave you some names of Venezuelan directors so you can investigate a little and find your favorites, in our cinema there is drama, comedy, the rawness of reality, violence, politics, unjust cases, various pathologies, and even horror.
Amábilis Cordero
Alberto Arvelo
Román Chalbaud
Clemente de la Cerda
Iván Feo
Fina Torres
Jonathan Jakubowicz
Margot Benacerraf
Mariana Rondón
Lorenzo Vigas
Luis Armando Roche
Carlos Caridad Montero
Haik Gazarian
Andrés Duque
Marcel Rasquín
Carlos Azpurua
Miguel Ferrari
Claudia Pinto
Elia Schneider
Patricia Ortega
Hernán Jabes
Alejandro Saderman
Alfredo Anzola
Solveig Hoogesteijn
Carlos Daniel Malavé
Daniel Oropeza
Diego Risquez
Luis Alberto Lamata
Nicolas Manzano
Jorge Thielen Armand
Rober Calzadilla
Anabel Rodriguez Rios
Manuel de Pedro
José Ramón Novoa
Andrés Eduardo Rodríguez
Luis Alejandro Rodríguez
Alejandro Bellame
Margarita Cadenas
Andrea Baranenko
Alejandro Hidalgo
And there are many more that I have yet to discover, my humble recommendation.
I hope you liked the article, I recommend you to watch independent films as much as you can because there are stories much closer to ourselves than in any overrated fiction.