Exclusive Film Screening: “Amparo”
The Paris Institute for Critical Thinking cordially invites PICT members to a special screening of Amparo (Simón Mesa Soto, 2021) in celebration of the Rising Star Award won by the film’s lead actress, Sandra Melissa Torres, at the Cannes Film Festival 2021. The screening will take place at 21:45 on Saturday, July 31, at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, and will be attended by PICT core faculty member Hector Ulloque, co-executive producer of Amparo.
Set in Colombia in 1998, Amparo tells the story of a single mother who goes up against corruption, violence, and a patriarchal society to rescue her teenage son, drafted into the army and assigned to a war zone. In the words of Variety’s Emiliano Granada, Amparo “struggles not only with the male driven institution to whom her son is merely another uniform, but the whole context that surrounds her and her children, often grossly unempathetic and judgmental.” Torres’ award-winning performance in the title role was praised by Screen International’s Wendy Ide as as “tightly controlled,” “understated,” and “magnetic.”
Director Simón Mesa Soto’s past work includes Leidi, winner of the Palme d’Or for best short film at the Cannes Film Festival 2014, and Madre, a competitor for the short film Palme d’Or in 2016. Amparo is the director’s debut feature film. Hector Ulloque’s recent production work includes Tantas Almas (Valley of Souls, 2019), winner of the Étoile d’Or at the 18th Marrakech International Film Festival, and Io Sono Il Sole (I Am the Sun, 2020), winner of the “Humans in Focus” award at the 5th Ibiza International Film Festival.
The screening is part of a retrospective devoted to the 60th International Critics’ Week (La Semaine de la Critique), where Torres received her award from a jury headed by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, winner of the 2007 Palme d’Or with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. A section of the Cannes Film Festival organized by the French Union of Film Critics, the International Critics’ Week has the aim of discovering and supporting young cinematic talent from around the world.
Hector has been kind enough to make a limited number of free tickets available for PICT members only. Please RSVP at the bottom of the page by Monday, July 26. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. If you are not a PICT member yet, click here to find out more.
Please note that state restrictions on assembly apply; to find out more, visit the relevant web page of the Cinémathèque.
The film will be screened in the Spanish original, with French subtitles.
Date
Saturday, July 31, 2021, 21:45
(RSVP by Monday, July 26)
Venue
La Cinémathèque Fançaise
Salle Henri Langlois
51 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris
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