In an isolated Mexican village, an elderly man relentlessly weaves maguey leaves to make money to pay for a ceremony aimed at warding off bad luck. Such is a scene in Silvestre Pantaleón (2012), a 65-minute documentary showing the hardships of a family struggling to make ends meet in a self-sufficient economy.
The film was one of two documentaries screened last Thursday marking the beginning of the Spain-Mexico Documentary Week that runs from August 23 to September 2 at the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA).
Pedro Eliud Cisneros Cuervo, the Mexican ambassador to China, told Metro Beijing the aim of promoting documentaries from his country was to share its culture with Chinese audiences.
A similar festival in 2010 only included entries from Chinese and Spanish filmmakers, but this year it was expanded to include films from Mexico to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Sino-Mexican ties.
Eight Mexican documentaries and eight Spanish documentaries will be screened throughout the week. Antonio Delgado Liz, president of the Madrid International Documentary Film Festival, said all films underwent an intense selection process, with only the best being screened in Beijing.
Mexican documentaries featured are mainly the works of young directors including Jorge Creuheras, Stephanie Geslin and Roberto Olivares. They all aim to convey the cultural, historical and social transitions Mexicans are currently experiencing in their country.
Spanish directors Sergio Oksman, Xavier Artigas and Rodolphe Hamel are among those whose documentaries are being screened at the week-long event.
Oksman has entered four documentaries, including A Story for the Modlins (2012), which was shot over three years.
When: August 23-31, September 1-2
Where: UCCA, 798 Art Zone, 2-4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district
Tickets: 15 yuan
Contact: 5780-0200
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