The relationship between cinema and literature has always existed; language leads us to the image. Although cinema will never surpass the power of the imagination—which literature captures using nothing more than a pen and a page—film has consistently sought to emulate literary works, a challenge that, it must be said, is not always met successfully. This year, VLAFF is excited to present these films in the CINEMA & LITERATURE section—movies that not only interpret literary works but also explore stories about how literature shapes the characters we see on screen.
IN HER PLACE
Chile
Dir. Maide Alberti
This is the debut narrative feature from acclaimed documentary filmmaker Maite Alberdi (Chile). Alberdi has directed the renowned, award-winning documentaries THE MOLE AGENT and THE ETERNAL MEMORY, both of which received Oscar nominations for Best Documentary. In this new film, Alberdi skillfully helms a period thriller, demonstrating her versatility as a director; At 43, she is already a major figure in world cinema. IN HER PLACE is based on the true story of writer María Carolina Geel, who killed her lover at the Crillon Hotel in Santiago, Chile, in 1955; the film offers a reinterpretation of a story from Alia Trabucco Zerán’s book *The Murderers*.
IT WOULD BE NIGHT IN CARACAS
Venezuela
Dirs. Mariana Rondón, Marité Ugas
Familiarity with the cinema of Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugas—winners of the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival for PELO MALO (2013)—is essential to understanding recent Venezuelan cinema. They once again use Caracas as their setting, this time with a screenplay based on the novel *La hija de la española* by Karin Sainz and featuring a spectacular performance by Natalia Reyes, who must fight against those trying to seize her home amidst the city’s turmoil.
A POET
Colombia
Dir. Simon Soto Mesa
A gem of recent Colombian cinema, A POET—the title alone explains why this film is part of the lineup—features an original screenplay penned by the director. It follows a poet, Oscar Restrepo, through the streets of Medellín; his obsession with poetry has brought him no glory. Aging and erratic, he has succumbed to the cliché of the poet living in the shadows. The film’s greatest asset is the humor—get ready to laugh heartily.