Danzak
(ON DEMAND)
DIRECTED BY - Gabriela Yepes
Nina is a 10 year old girl whose life dramatically changes when her dying father and Scissor Dancer master asks her to fulfill his last wish. Inspired by the short story of Peruvian writer José María Arguedas, "The Agony of Rasu Ñiti".
Gabriela Yepes, Director - "Indigenous people account for a significant proportion of Peruvian population. However, Peruvian movies and mainstream media tend to depict Indigenous culture in racist and discriminative stereotypes. This short film and thesis project follows the logic of an intercultural dialog, using the methodology of American independent and Iranian films to update an ancient Andean myth. Using José María Arguedas' story "The Agony of Rasu Ñiti" as a starting point, this film aims to create a non-stereotypical representation of the daily life and cultural practices inside a community of Indigenous artists who migrated from the countryside of Southern Peru to the shantytowns around Peru's capital city, Lima. This film explores how and why a specific Andean cultural manifestation -the Scissor Dance- is passed on younger generations in urban environments. Based on the principle that film (as well as any other art form) can change the way issues are perceived and thought, this film intends to acknowledge one of many Indigenous traditions Peruvian society can not and should not be conceived without.
GENRES - drama, short films, coming of age, international
Film Info
RUNTIME - 20 minutes
RATING - Not Rated
YEAR - 2008
Related Links:
Official Website
CAST | |
---|---|
Hellen Sly Sanchez | Nina |
Frank Aroni | Father/Rasu Ñiti |
Liliana Trujillo | Mother |
Director
Writer
Editor
Editor
Cinematographer
Composer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
FESTIVALS
- AFI Dallas International Film Festival 2009 (Dallas, TX, USA)
- Austin Film Festival 2009 (Austin, United States)
- Cannes Film Festival 2009 (Cannes, France)
- Cine Las Americas Film Festival 2009 (Austin, United States)
- HollyShorts Film Festival 2009 (Hollywood, United States)
- San Diego Latino Film Festival 2009 (San Diego, United States)
- Tiburon International Film Festival 2009 (Tiburon, United States)
- Vancouver International Film Festival 2009 (Vancouver, Canada)
- International Short Film Festival 2008 (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Sin Fronteras Film Festival 2008 (New Mexico, United States)
Awards
- Emerging Filmmakers Showcase (Winner)
2009 Cannes Film Festival (Cannes, France) - Student Short Film Award - Best Film (Winner)
2009 Austin Film Festival (Austin, United States)
Press
"A wonderful blend of tradition and modern life. The dialogue, actors and setting all make for a world that as far away from our own homes and lives as it may be, nevertheless unfolds before us as though a portal to Peru and a beautiful part of its culture were opened up."
-DC Shorts Blog
Customer Reviews
MOST RECENT




Great short!
written by kylehn on Aug 10th, 2010read all my reviews
this review is from: Danzak (ON DEMAND)
Had the wonderful pleasure of seeing this film a year ago now and thought it was amazing! Such subtle, carefully observed, naturalistic direction that resulted in an emotionally complicated short story. A rarity these days when most shorts are only a series of sight gags or worse. Congrats!
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