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The short film Primera Enseñanza (2025, 14 min.), by the Cuban Aria Sánchez and the Brazilian Marina Meira, won the Best Direction Award this Saturday in the international section Pardi di Domani at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.
The work, which premiered worldwide last week, is a co-production between Wajiros Films (Cuba) and Ivi Productions (Spain), and it was competing with about twenty experimental shorts and mid-length films, reported the festival website.
In that category, Hyenai, Altay Ulan Yang (USA) received the Pardino d’Oro, and Still Playing by Mohamed Mesbah (France) was awarded the Pardino d’Argento.
“Primera Enseñanza is a film shot in Cuba, with a predominantly Cuban crew. Accessing funding has never been easy, so we paved our own way,” the filmmakers told Rialta Noticias during the world premiere of the film.
Primera Enseñanza marks the debut of both as film directors.
Their aesthetic proposal, they explain, seeks to "create atmospheres that lead us to feel the absurd in seemingly ordinary worlds, an invitation to coexist in questions that we believe have been answered."
"Daniela's voice must be completely rested before she can use it again. Faced with the adults' inability to handle the situation, her peers see the perfect opportunity to silence her for good," reports the festival's official site.
The documentary features Mia Hernández, Lucero Montero, Wendy G. Castellanos, Raiza De Beche, and Omar Durán.
The Golden Leopard, the highest award at Locarno, was awarded to Tabi to hibi (Two Seasons, Two Strangers) by Japanese filmmaker Sho Miyake.
Representing Latin America, alongside Sánchez and Meira, was the Argentine Cecilia Kang, awarded Best Emerging Director at the Present Filmmakers Competition for her film Hijo mayor (Argentina/France).
With this victory, Primera Enseñanza joins the most significant accolades of independent Cuban cinema in recent years and positions Aria Sánchez as one of the most promising emerging voices in the island's cinematography.
Frequently asked questions about the Cuban-Brazilian short film "Primera Enseñanza" and its success at Locarno
What is the short film "Primera Enseñanza" about?
"Primera Enseñanza" is a short film that explores the absurd in seemingly ordinary worlds, inviting us to coexist with questions that seem to have already been answered. The plot centers on the situation of a girl named Daniela, whose voice must be silenced, but her peers see this as an opportunity to silence her permanently.
Who are the directors of "Primera Enseñanza" and what recognition did they receive?
The short film was directed by Aria Sánchez from Cuba and Marina Meira from Brazil, who won the Best Direction Award in the international Pardi di Domani section at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.
How was the production of the short film "Primera Enseñanza" carried out?
"Primera Enseñanza" is a co-production between Wajiros Films (Cuba) and Ivi Productions (Spain). It was filmed in Cuba with a predominantly Cuban crew, which posed a challenge due to the difficulties in accessing funding, forcing the directors to carve their own path to carry out the project.
What impact does the recognition of "Primera Enseñanza" have on Cuban cinema?
The success of "Primera Enseñanza" in Locarno adds to the most significant recognitions of independent Cuban cinema in recent years and positions Aria Sánchez as one of the most promising emerging voices in the island's film industry.
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