A celebration of cultures

THE LATIN AMERICAN film industry has produced many films and talents who are celebrated internationally.
It’s no wonder then that the annual Latin American Film Festival (LAFF) is so popular among local cinephiles here.
This year’s LAFF, the 16th edition of the festival in Malaysia, is happening at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) Pavilion from Nov 1 to 8.
It is organised by the Latin American and Caribbean Group (Grulac) that comprises the embassies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in Malaysia. Joining in this year is Costa Rica, through its embassy in Korea.
Last year, a film from Malaysia, a guest country, was shown during the festival. This year, that honour goes to South Africa.
“Since the festival’s launching, it has gotten better and more popular every year,” said Manuel Balaguer Salas (right), the ambassador of Argentina to Malaysia.
“In addition, this festival is not only about entertainment but also gives viewers the opportunity to get to know the culture and richness of the Latin American countries.
“The festival will take place exclusively at GSC Pavilion KL, one of the popular shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, so we are expecting high attendance.”
This year’s selection includes a wide range of genres, topics and styles. It includes romance, comedies, dramas, animations, documentaries and horror, giving the general public and movie buffs a chance to immerse themselves in the languages – Spanish and Portuguese – as well as the cultural and social aspects of Latin American countries.
The festival offers a perfect opportunity to see the world through the eyes of other cultures. Each film will be shown with English subtitles.
The films to be featured are romantic comedy Alma from Chile, animation Anina (Uruguay), documentary Modern Nature (Ecuador), historical drama Cuba Libre (Cuba), family drama Eyes Closed (Costa Rica), comedy Ilusiones S.A. (Mexico), drama Gente De Bien (Colombia), comedy–drama Inseparables (Argentina), comedy Margarita (Peru), horror The House at the End of Time (Venezuela), romantic comedy–sci–fi The Man from the Future (Brazil) and musical–drama U–Carmen (South Africa).
Describing the film selection as a whole, Salas said: “As with the cultures that prevail in Latin America, they are all humane and passionate.”
The LAFF is open to the public and is free of charge.
For updated screening schedules, synopsis and details, visit the GSC website or the LAFF in Malaysia Facebook page.