DEVIL’S FREEDOM – La Libertad del Diablo
Mexico, 2017
Spanish with English subtitles | 74 min
Director: Everardo González
Friday, August 24th
9:15pm @The Cinematheque
Wednesday, August 29th
9pm @The Cinematheque
In the past five years, the battle against drug crime in Mexico has claimed the lives of an estimated 100,000 people. If you include the impact on the families and loved ones of the victims, that figure increases four-fold. But statistics remain abstract. Everardo Gonzalez’s Devil’s Freedom aims to uncover the stories behind the numbers and headlines that plague Mexico. In this bold and somber documentary, the faces of interviewees are hidden behind masks in order to preserve their anonymity—but we sense their emotions all the same. Victims and perpetrators alike are given time to express themselves and confront their pain, guilt, and responsibility through detailed and often disturbing testimony. What emerges is a haunted portrait of a society governed by fear and deep insecurity.
“While Devil’s Freedom is a profoundly painful film, it is also absolutely necessary for us all…” -Arturo Magaña Arce, Cine Premiere Mexico
México, 2016. En las ciudades más peligrosas del mundo la vida no vale mucho. Mirar a los ojos de los protagonistas de la violencia, víctimas como victimarios, ayuda a comprender cómo el miedo se ha insertado en el subconsciente de la sociedad mexicana. A través de una red de historias, nos enfrentamos a la oscura faceta de la psicología humana, y al balance entre la humanidad y el mal.
“Así pues, víctimas y victimarios, sicarios y fuerzas del orden, asesinos a sueldo y criminales con uniforme militar/policial, comparten el mismo rostro y, detrás de la máscara, el mismo acento norteño.” -Ernesto Diezmartínez, Vértigo.
Everado’s Filmography: El Paso (2016), Cuates de Australia (2011), El cielo abierto (2011), Los ladrones viejos (2007), Jalisco es México: charro, mariachi y tequila (2006), La canción del pulque (2003)
Everardo González is recognized as one of the most important voices in Latin American documentary. His films have screened at several international film festivals, including the Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and the Guadalajara International Film Festival. His filmography includes Pulque song (2003), Old Thieves: The Legend of Artegio (2007), Drought (2011), and Devil´s Freedom (2017).
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