Bicentenario
2020 · 43m · Colombia
Directed by Pablo Alvarez Mesa
Genres: documentary, experimental
Tones: contemplative, surreal
On the 200th anniversary of Simon Bolivar's liberation campaign across Colombia, this essay film examines how Bolivar's legacy has transformed into political mysticism.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Alvarez Mesa uses the bicentenary of Colombian independence not as celebration but as autopsy — a rare essay film that trusts its audience to sit inside political discomfort without resolution.
43-minute essay film refusing commemoration of Bolivar — Patricio Guzmán lineage if it works. The runtime alone signals intention. Genuine interest, blocked page.
Refusing the commemorative mode entirely and using Bolívar's bicentenary as archaeological site to excavate the mythology keeping Colombia's violence alive — Nostalgia de la Luz is the right comparison, not a flattering one. 43-minute essay film with serious intent.
Festivals
- Berlinale 2021