PRIMAS
Canada/Argentina, 2017
Spanish with English subtitles | 100 min 
Director: Laura Bari

Monday, August 27th 
5pm @ The Cinematheque

Primas is an evocative documentary portrait of two cousins, Rocío and Aldana, Argentine teenagers who, in the wake of heinous acts of violence that interrupted their childhoods, search to free themselves from the shadows of their past. The film merges realism with the dream world, confirming the power of imagination and expression to enhance the process of the emotional and physical reconstruction of an individual. Travelling in Argentina and Montreal, the girls come of age having revelatory experiences in their everyday lives; learning dance, mime, theatre, and circus arts, as they work with renowned artists from Cirque du Soleil, Theatre Omnibus, Evolucidanse, and others. They express through their bodies what only their imaginations, unique perspectives, and unshakable resilience can reveal.

“Steeped in poetic beauty, Primas is a stirring tribute to the deep strength of vulnerable yet resilient women.” – Bruno Dequen, RIDM

Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Documentary, DOXA 2018
Audience Award, Mar del Plata International Film Festival 2017

La directora Laura Bari tiene ese particular pulso cinematográfico cercano al corazón. Es su magia. En un entorno cotidiano, ella encuentra la historia que retrata un todo, que embellezca la vida. Esta vez, su cámara sigue a dos primas adolescentes, Rocío y Aldana, que trascienden la pantalla con carismático positivismo. Las dos, víctimas de actos violentos que las empujaron a una adultez temprana, logran ese lugar de encuentro en el que la empatía y el amor hacen milagros. En el perfecto límite entre el documental y la ficción, Primas es una parábola intensa y magnificada de dos jóvenes que tienen en común el dolor. Primas es un canto a la fuerza del espíritu humano y la grandeza de los instantes al calor de la amistad. Agustina Salvador.

Filmography: Ariel (2013), Antoine (2009)

Laura Bari, a self-taught filmmaker originally from Argentina, currently resides in Montreal. Fascinated by singularity and difference, she chose film as a way to merge Arts, cultures and mental health. Antoine (2009), her first full-length film, was shown at some thirty festivals around the world, winning 15 prizes. Her new opus Ariel (2013) is an intimate and metaphorical portrait of an Argentinean man rebuilding his identity after a terrible accident. Revealing once again the power of imagination through Laura’s unique artistic approach, she pushes the boundaries between real and unreal.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS