Z365" or "Festival all year round" is the new strategic point of the Festival in which converge investigation, accompaniment and development of new talents (Ikusmira Berriak, Nest); training and cinematic knowledge transfer (Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, Zinemaldia + Plus, Filmmakers' dialogue); and investigation, disclosure and cinematic thought (Z70 project, Thought and Discussion and Research and publications).
The film Medusa, directed by the Brazilian filmmaker Anita Rocha da Silveira, will receive the ninth Sebastiane Latino Award decided by a jury made up of members of GEHITU, the Basque Association of Gays, Lesbians, Transexuals and Bisexuals. The award, organised by the collective to reward the Latin American film of 2021 which best represents sexual and gender diversity, will be presented during San Sebastian Festival’s 69th edition.
Medusa, a Brazilian production screened as part of the official selection of feature films at the last Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, is Rocha de Silveira’s second film following her feature debut, Mate-me por favor (Kill Me Please, 2015), premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Mostra. The film follows the story of Mariana as she strives to maintain the appearance of being a perfect woman until the day her desire to scream becomes stronger than ever.
The jury has decided to give the award to Medusa “for being a film which, starting from horror, plays with the other genres to reveal a plan for the inoculation of fear, hatred and violence”. “Anita Rocha da Silveira unmasks the fashion advocating a return to the submissiveness of women and uncovers its face: the same violence as carried out by men meted out by women. As Medusa points out, if ‘laundered’ male violence is responsible for empowering and unleashing physical and verbal violence against women and the LGBTI collective, the reaction must be united and clear”, considers the GEHITU jury.