Mexican film wins at Locarno

Young Mexican director Enrique Rivero holds aloft his Golden Leopard Fotofestival / Pedrazzini

Parque Vía, a sensitive portrayal of the social ills in Mexican society, has won the Golden Leopard top prize at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

Although the host country went empty handed in the main competition, a Swiss documentary on life in an asylum centre scooped first place in the Filmmakers of the Present Competition.

The awards were given out on the Piazza Grande, the traditional heart of Locarno, on Saturday evening – the last day of Switzerland’s most established film festival.

French actress and jury member Rachida Brakni said that the jury, which also included Swiss director Dani Levy, was unanimous in its decision to honour Parque Vía. Particularly praised was the film’s courage.

“We all agreed it was a very successful cinematic work,” said Brakni at a media conference to announce the results.

The film, the first feature-length work by young director Enrique Rivero, tells the story of Beto, an elderly Indio – the term applied to indigenous peoples in Mexico – who lives a secluded existence away from the bustle of Mexico city looking after an empty luxury villa.

When it is sold, Beto fears he can no longer work outside the house. A poignant work, the film depicts the gap between the rich and poor in Mexico, as well as the difficulties faced by the Indios.

It is based on the true story of Nolberto Coria who plays himself, Beto, in the film.

The Silver Leopard, a Special Jury Prize for the second best film, went to 33 Scenes from Life by Malgoska Szumowska, a German and Polish coproduction.

Canadian Denis Côté won the best director prize for Elle Veut Le Chaos. The best actor went to Tayanç Ayaydin for Market – a Tale of Trade by British director Ben Hopkins and best actress went to Ilaria Occhini for Mar Nero (Black Sea) by the Italian Federico Bondi.

The public’s favourite

The UBS Prix du Public, voted for by the audiences watching films on the huge outdoors screen on the Piazza Grande, was awarded to British film Son of Rambow.

This heart-warming tale of two boys filming their own version of the very first Rambo movie in the 1980s drew thunderous applause when it was shown on August 13.

It was so popular that director Garth Jennings had to come out onto the Piazza stage for a second time – having already been on to introduce the movie as is traditional – a rare occurrence in Locarno.

The widely tipped Parque Vía beat off competition in the main section from 17 other works, including the Swiss entry, Un autre homme (Another Man), by Lionel Baier.

This ironic tale of a small town film critic has been well received by the both the industry and the real critics.

Swiss success

Switzerland was more successful in the Filmmakers of the Present competition, for works which are radical and innovative in their approach.

La Forteresse (The Fortress), the winning Swiss documentary by Fernand Melgar, which had its world premiere at Locarno, tells the story of those going through the asylum process at the Registration Centre in Vallorbe in western Switzerland.

It charts the strong emotions – swinging from despair to hope – felt by those involved, their reasons for seeking a new life in Switzerland and their encounters with officials.

Melgar made the film in reaction to the tougher asylum laws introduced in Switzerland, which were approved by the population in 2006.

“I wanted to understand what was fuelling this fear of the other in this country, what was driving us to lock the gates and transform this land of asylum into an impregnable fortress,” Melgar said of his film.

Melgar has made his name on the Swiss cinema scene through his documentaries on challenging topics. In 2005 he made Exit – le droit de mourir (Exit – the right to die), dealing with assisted suicide.

The jury praised the The Fortress as dealing well with a delicate subject that was nevertheless contemporary and had a wider resonance.

swissinfo, Isobel Leybold-Johnson in Locarno

The winners

The Golden Leopard: Parque Vía, Enrique Rivero, Mexico

The Special Jury Prize: 33 Scenes from Life, Malgoska Szumowska, Germany/Poland

Best direction: Denis Côté, Elle Veut Le Chaos, Canada

Best Actor: Tayanç Ayaydin, Market – a Tale of Trade, Germany/Britain/Turkey/Kazakhstan

Best Actress: Ilaria Occhini, Mar Nero (Black Sea), Italy/ Romania/France

Special mentions: Liu Mang De Scheng Yan (Feast of Villains), by Pan Jianlin, China, and Daytime Drinking, by Noh Young-seok, South Korea

Golden Leopard 2004-2008

2008 – Parque Vía, Enrique Rivero, Mexico

2007 – Ai no yokan, Masahiro Kobayashi, Japan

2006 – Das Fräulein, Andrea Staka, Switzerland

2005 – Nine lives, Rodrigo Garcia, United States

2004 – Private, Saverio Costanzo, Italy

Locarno in figures

The 61st Locarno Film Festival took place from August 6-16.

20 films were shown on the giant screen at the Piazza Grande, the heart of the festival.

18 films were in the international competition.

In total, 380 movies, short and long, were shown at the festival.

Switzerland had around 50 works at the festival.