Cornerhouse is delighted to present ¡Viva!, its internationally acclaimed Spanish language Film Festival showcasing the best in new Spanish and Latin American cinema. The 2012 Festival programme will present special guests, premieres and previews alongside an exciting array of feature films, short films, documentaries, director Q&A’s and a new exhibition of work by Mexican artist Minerva Cuevas.
From small independent feature films and documentaries through to programmes of shorts and big blockbusters, ¡Viva! introduces noteworthy Spanish language films to celebrate Hispanic film culture.
Spanish comedy will feature strongly during ¡Viva! 2012, with Oscar Aibar’s El Gran Vázquez (2010), about the life of a comic strips artist in Barcelona in the mid60s, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s Primos (2010), following three cousins on their travels to the village where they spent summer vacations as kids and Cristián Jiménez’s Bonsái (2011), in which a young writer recounts an earlier romance in hopes of attracting his new love interest.
Other highlights will include Pa negre (2010), Agustí Villaronga’s drama film which investigates a crime during the dark years after the Spanish Civil War in an isolated rural community. Awarded with nine Goya Awards including best film, best director and best-adapted screenplay, Pa negre was the first ever movie in Catalan to represent Spain at the Oscars. Animated documentary Pequeñas voces (2010), directed by Jairo Carrillo & Oscar Andrade, focuses on the vision of Colombia war by displaced children, using their original drawings and their testimonies.
¡Viva! will also present an exhibition of new work by Mexican artist Minerva Cuevas exploring activism and on-going socio-political concerns.
Now in its 18th year, ¡Viva! remains one of Cornerhouse’s biggest enticements. In 2011, over 8,000 people were welcomed to the Festival and other ¡Viva!-related events during a three week period. Rachel Hayward, Cornerhouse and ¡Viva! Festival Programme Manager, says “The festival adds to the tapestry of cultural events taking place in the city. And most importantly, without the festival all but one or two of the films in the festival wouldn’t ever screen in the UK. We seek out the very best Spanish and Latin American films from across a variety of festivals such as San Sebastian, Berlinale and Cannes.”
¡Viva! also continues Cornerhouse’s award-winning language study sessions with a range of events for Spanish language learners of all levels. GCSE, AS and A2 students will be treated to screenings of festival films such as Hermano and Pequenas voces (both 2010) with accompanying in-depth language sessions led by native Spanish speakers from MMU and the festival partner, Instituto Cervantes. Adult learners have a range of events where they can practice their language skills by dropping into one of the festival’s Spanish and Catalan events, taking part in a post-screening discussion or taking part in the specially programmed adult study morning.
Full details of the 2012 ¡Viva! Festival film programme will be announced on 28 November 2011.
In partnership with Instituto Cervantes Manchester.